Immature stages of BritishCalliphoraandCynomya, with a re-evaluation of the taxonomic characters of larval Calliphoridae (Diptera)

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Abstract
Descriptions based on a detailed comparative study of the structural features of all 3 larval instars and puparia of the 6 British Calliphora [C. vicina (= C. erythrocephala), C. vomitoria, C. uralensis, C. alpina, C. sobalpina, and C. loewi (= C. germanorum)] and single Cynomya [Cynomya mortuorum] species are given. The results demonstrate that certain characters, singly or in combination, enable reliable species separation, while some features used previously are not reliable. In the 1st and 2nd instars features of the cephalopharyngeal skeleton are used for species identification while in the 3rd instar details of the spines of the segmental bands and the structure of the anterior spiracle are diagnostic. Keys to 3rd instar larvae and to puparia of all the above species are given. Reliable species separation of these larvae will be of practical value in forensic and carcass ecological studies in the wide area of the northern Holarctic.