Sarcosaprophagous flesh flies (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) are less diverse in Amazon Forest than mangroves in Northeast Brazil: preliminary insights about environmental heterogeneity

Abstract

ABSTRACT Environmental heterogeneity can affect the diversity of arthropods, resulting in a positive relationship in most studies, including of some Diptera groups. We investigated the diversity patterns of Sarcophagidae fauna in two phytophysiognomies with inferences about the environmental heterogeneity. In our hypothesis, the flesh flies have higher diversity in more heterogeneous environments than in the more homogeneous one. The study was performed in São Luís Island, state of Maranhão, Northeast Brazil. In total, we found 1482 specimens, of which 402 were males, representing six genera and 26 species. Peckia (Euboettcheria) collusor (Curran and Walley) was the most abundant species. The mangrove community was more diverse than the forest community. Species replacement contributes more significantly to the difference in species composition between environments than richness difference does, with higher values of dissimilarity of taxonomic diversity. Our data show that sarcosaprophagous flesh flies have a preference for open and sunny environments, implying greater diversity in mangroves rather than in forested areas. The negative relationship between species richness/abundance and vegetation cover in our study corroborates flesh flies’ preference for open environments. Our data show a tendency to refute the environmental heterogeneity hypothesis. The mangrove fauna, especially Diptera communities, has received less attention. Nevertheless, mangrove has the potential to shelter high species richness, highlighting the need for further studies and conservation plans for these areas.