Melinda gentilis (Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830)

Demirözer, Ozan, Pekbey, Gamze, Hayat, Rüstem, Herdoğan, Azime, Ačanski, Jelena, Miličić, Marija & Uzun, Asiye, 2020, First contribution on distribution, abundance, and species richness of blowfly species (Diptera) of Isparta Province with five new records for the Turkish fauna *, Turkish Journal of Zoology 44 (1), pp. 69-79 : 73-77

Melinda gentilis (Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830)

Material examined: Central province: Gölcük Natural Park area , 37°44′7″N, 30°29′48″E, 1400 m, 25.VI.2015, 3♀♀ ; SDU East Campus , 37°50′16.77″N, 30°32′17″E, 1017 m, 01.IV.2015, 2♀♀ ; 16.IV.2015, 2♀♀ .

Distribution: Albania, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Eastern Europe, Eastern Palearctic, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Macedonia, Near East, Netherlands, North Africa, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom ( Rognes 1991; Pohjoismäki and Kahanpää, 2014).

Turkish records: New record for the Turkish insect fauna.

Family: Polleniidae

Genus: Pollenia Robineau- Desvoidy, 1830

Pollenia amentaria (Scopoli, 1763)

Material examined: Central province: Davraz Mountain , 37°46′57″N, 30°45′33″E, 1670 m, 16.VI.2015, 1♀ .

Distribution: Afghanistan, Europe, Finland, Iran, North Africa, Poland, Trans-Caucasus, Turkey (city information is not available), Ukraine ( Rognes, 1991; Szpila and Draber-Mońko, 2008; Verves and Khrokalo, 2010; Parchami-Araghi et al., 2014; Pohjoismäki and Kahanpää, 2014).

Turkish records: This species has been reported without locality information by Verves and Khrokalo (2010) in Turkey.

Pollenia griseotomentosa (Jacentkovsky, 1944)

Material examined: Aksu: Aksu-Yenişarbademli Highway , 37°44′47″N, 31°14′21.75″E, 1400 m, 10.VI.2014, 2♀♀ .

Distribution: Andorra, Belarus, Canada, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States ( Rognes, 1991; Verves and Khrokalo, 2010; Jewiss-Gaines et al., 2012; Pohjoismäki and Kahanpää, 2014).

Turkish records: New record for the Turkish insect fauna.

Pollenia pediculata (Macquart, 1834)

Material examined: Central province: Davraz Mountain , 37°46′54″N, 30°45′30″E, 27.VIII. 2015, 1672 m, 1♂ ; SDU East Campus , 37°50′16″N, 30°32′17″E, 1017 m, 12. V.2015, 1♂ 2♀♀ ; Atabey: Atabey-Gönen Highway , 37°56′28″N, 30°34′44″E, 1000 m, 19. VI.2014, 1♂ 2♀♀ ; 37°54′20″N, 30°38′19″E, 996 m, 19. VI.2014, 1♂ 1♀ ; Gönen: Gönen pond area, 37°57′55″N, 30°31′25″E, 1086 m, 01.IX.2015, 1♂ ; Keçiborlu: Gülköy , 37°54′30″N, 30°10′33″E, 1452 m, 20. V.2015, 1♀ .

Distribution: Andorra, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Iran, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Macedonia, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North America, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Turkey (city information is not available), Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Yemen ( Verves and Khrokalo, 2010; Pohjoismäki and Kahanpää, 2014; Hassan et al., 2018).

Turkish records: This species has been reported without locality information by Verves and Khrokalo (2010) in Turkey.

Pollenia rudis (Fabricius, 1794)

Material examined: Central province: Davraz Mountain , 37°46′54″N, 30°45′34″E, 1735 m, 18.VII.2015, 1♀ ; SDU East Campus , 37°50′16″N, 30°32′17″E, 1017 m, 12. V.2015, 1♂ ; Aksu, 37°47′17″N, 30°59′6″E, 1190 m, 10. VI.2014, 1♂ ; Gönen: Senirce road, 37°54′08″N, 30°30′43″E, 950 m, 20. V.2015, 3♂♂ 1♀ ; Şarkikaraağaç , 37°45′22″N, 31°24′53″E, 1132 m, 22.VII.2014, 3♀♀ .

Distribution: Afghanistan, Algeria, Arabia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Canary Islands, China, Egypt, Europe, Finland, Gaza, Georgia, India, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Mongolia, Morocco, Pakistan, Syria, Tajikistan, Tibet, Turkey (city information is not available), Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan ( Verves and Khrokalo, 2010; Bharti, 2011; Pohjoismäki and Kahanpää, 2014; Hassan et al., 2018).

Turkish records: Eskişehir ( Sert et al., 2014).

Family: Rhiniidae

Genus: Rhyncomya Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830

Rhyncomya cyanescens (Loew, 1844)

Material examined: Central province: Davraz Mountain , 37°46′57.7″N, 30°45′33″E, 1672 m, 27.VIII.2015, 1♂ ; Gölcük Natural Park area , 37°42′58″N, 30°29′42″E, 1445 m, 18.VII.2014, 2♂♂ ; Gölcük Natural Park , 37°43′43″N, 30°29′09″E, 1414 m, 05.VIII.2015, 1♂ 2♀♀ ; Kirazlıdere area , 37°47′20″N, 30°30′55″E, 1310 m, 08.IX.2015, 3♀♀ ; Sütçüler: Çandır , 37°29′41″N, 30°56′44″E, 347 m, 16. VI.2014, 1♂ ; Yenişarbademli: Melikler Plateau , 37°41′47″N 31°17′38″E, 1635 m, 04.IX.2014, 1♀ .

Distribution: Albania, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Iran, Macedonia, Morocco, Romania, Syria, Tajikistan, Ukraine ( Parchami-Araghi et al., 2001; Rognes, 2002).

Turkish records: This species has been reported without locality information by Rognes (2002) in Turkey.

As a result of our study, totally 15 species were determined with 201 specimens from the following species: Bellardia tatrica , Calliphora subalpina , C. vicina , C. vomitoria , Chrysomya albiceps , Lucilia caesar , L. cuprina , L. sericata , L. silvarum , Melinda gentilis , Pollenia amentaria , P. griseomentosa , P. pediculata , P. rudis , and Rhyncomya cyanescens .

The former subfamily Rhiniinae was raised to the family level ( Castro et al., 2016). In that study, this family was represented by only R. cyanescens . Likewise, the subfamily Polleniinae was recently reconstituted as new dipteran family of Oestroidea and 4 species of it were identified in the results of the current study.

Five species were recorded for the first time for the Turkish insect fauna as well as for Isparta Province: Bellardia tatrica , C. subalpina , L. silvarum , M. gentilis , and Pollenia griseotomentosa .

The most common blowfly species in Isparta Province were C. albiceps and L. sericata , and they together with R. cyanescens inhabit the widest altitudinal range ( Figures 1A and 1B). Bellardia tatrica , C. subalpina , C. vomitoria , L. cuprina , P. amentaria , and P. griseomentosa were found mostly above 1000 m a.s.l. ( Figures 1A, 1C, and 1D).

The overall abundance of the species ranged from 1 individual per species to 71 individuals per species ( Figure 2). As shown, L. sericata was the most abundant species in Isparta Province with 71 registered specimens, followed by C. albiceps and C. vicina . C. subalpina , C. vomitoria , L. cuprina , L. caesar , P. amentaria , and P. griseomentosa were the least abundant species ( Figure 2).

The seasonal relative abundance of each species is represented in Figure 3. Common species like C. vicina , L. sericata , and C. albiceps were observed during the entire season, with a peak in summer and autumn. According to our observations, C. subalpina , C. vomitoria , P. amentaria , P. griseomentosa , and B. tatrica occur during May and June, while L. silvarum and R. cyanescens had continuous activity from June to September. Additionally, L. caesar and L. cuprina were recorded in autumn. Considering the altitudinal gradient of the study area, the highest species richness and abundance were found between 1000 and 1200 m a.s.l. ( Figures 4A and 4B).

A detailed view of the observed specimens and species richness in Isparta Province is presented in Figure 5. The highest number of individuals was recorded in the western part of the province (Isparta central district) ( Figure 5A), while the highest species richness was recorded in Isparta

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center, Gönen, Aksu, and Yenişarbademli ( Figure 5B). The highest Shannon diversity index range (1.017–2) was recorded in the western part of Isparta Province, while an index range of 0.678 to 1.017 was recorded in Yalvaç, Eğirdir, Aksu, and Yenişarbademli ( Figure 5C).

In total, the modeling procedure was conducted for six species. TSS values ranged from 0.4 and 0.8, representing a good fit of the models. The most important bioclimatic variable, contributing in three out of six models, was mean diurnal range (bio 2).

Our results show that the highest levels of blowfly species richness will be mainly focused in the eastern part of Isparta Province. At present, the most speciesrich district is predicted to be the center district ( Figure 6A), while for 2070, besides the center district, Gönen and Keçiborlu will also experience higher levels of species richness ( Figure 6B). Out of 6 analyzed species, 3–5 are predicted to have suitable climatic conditions for their survival in these areas.

By comparing species richness patterns between the present and future, a potential increase in species richness is predicted for the southeastern part of the province, in southeast Eğirdir and on the western end of the Keçiborlu district, which are predicted to gain between 1 and 3 species ( Figure 6C). Contrastingly, certain areas in the western part of Isparta (mainly in Yalvaç and the eastern part of Eğirdir) are predicted to lose species across time ( Figure 6C).

In our study, the obtained species belong to the families Calliphoridae (Calliphorinae, Chrysomyinae, Lucilliinae, and Melanomyinae), Polleniidae , and Rhiniidae , as previously mentioned. Importantly, five species were recorded for the first time for the Turkish fauna, as well as for Isparta Province: Bellardia tatrica , Calliphora subalpina , Lucilia silvarum , Melinda gentilis , and Pollenia griseotomentosa .

Lucilia sericata , known as a cosmopolitan species, was the most common species with 71 out of 201 specimens in the present study. This species is also found in several other locations in Turkey: Afyonkarahisar, Ankara, Elazığ, Şanlıurfa ( Şaki and Özer, 1999; Sevgili et al., 2004; Şabanoğlu, 2007; Yücel et al., 2008), and Eskişehir ( Aksoy, 2009). The second most common species, C. albiceps , was collected between 347 and 1672 m a.s.l. in the study areas. The species was reported from different locations from Turkey, such as Ankara ( Şabanoğlu, 2007), Edirne ( Çoban, 2009), Elazığ ( Şaki and Özer, 1999), and Şanlıurfa ( Sevgili et al., 2004). In previous studies, Calliphora vicina was found in the provinces of Ankara ( Şabanoğlu, 2007), Edirne ( Çoban, 2009), Elazığ ( Şaki and Özer, 1999), and Şanlıurfa ( Sevgili et al., 2004). Here, this common species was collected between 927 and 1522 m a.s.l, mostly in the center district of Isparta. Lucilia sericata , C. albiceps , and C. vicina were observed during the entire season, with a peak in summer and autumn.

The species C. subalpina , C. vomitoria , L. cuprina , P. amentaria , and P. griseotomentosa were considered as rare species due to the fact that there was only one specimen per species in separate locations. These species, except L. cuprina , were found above 1000 m a.s.l. in early summer (May and June). Lucilia cuprina and L. caesar were recorded as autumn species.

In this study, 13 of 15 species were recorded from Isparta’s central district. Based on field observations, we thought that human activities such as livestock and the presence of open dumpsites could have an effect on the

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abundant species numbers in the central district of the province.

Along altitudinal gradients, both species richness and abundance were high between 800 and 1800 m a.s.l., with a peak between 1000 and 1200 m a.s.l. Considering the richness across Isparta Province, the highest abundance and species richness were seen in the western part of the province. The highest species richness was recorded in the central district with 7 to 8 species in a 15 × 15 km grid. This district together with Gönen had the highest values of the Shannon diversity index. Other districts, such as Yalvaç, Eğirdir, Aksu, and Yenişarbademli, had moderate species diversity.

Based on our results, it seems that the analyzed blowfly species will not be severely affected by climate change in the future. While some areas in western Isparta will lose a part of the species in the future, more areas are predicted to have stable species richness patterns, or even to increase the number of species. This is probably due to the fact that the development of these species is not directly conditioned with factors affected by rising temperatures. Larvae of these species are mainly scavengers, meaning that food sources do not represent a limiting factor for their development. The sensitivity of these species to climate change may come from the connection of adult flies with the plants that they use as food sources, as well as the effect of the temperature on the rate at which they grow and develop ( Verves, 2003).

Until now, without any particular checklist, a total of 26 species (including L. coeruleiviridis and Rhiniidae ) have been listed from Turkey ( Rognes, 1991, 2002; Verves, 2003; Civelek and Tezcan, 2005; Şabanoğlu and Sert, 2010; Verves and Khrokalo, 2010; Çoban and Beyarslan, 2013; Szpila et al., 2013; Akbarzadeh et al., 2015). With our study’s results, the number of species has risen to 31 in Turkey.

Acknowledgments and disclaimers

The authors thank Prof. Dr. Knut Rognes (University of Stavanger, Norway), Prof. Dr. Terry Whitworth (Washington State University, USA), and Olga Sivell (University College London) for kind help in the identification of some species and reference support for the study. This study was a part of Ms thesis entitled “First contribution on distribution, abundance, and species richness of blowfly species ( Diptera ) of Isparta province with five new records for the Turkish fauna.