Taxon classification Animalia Diptera Calliphoridae

Lucilia sericata (Meigen, 1826) Figs 2L, 3F

Material examined.

Madeira: Dunas da Piedade (1 male); Ilhéu do Farol (1 female); Porto Santo: Ilhéu da Cal S (1 male); Ilhéu do Farol N (1 female, 5 males); Ilhéu do Farol S (2 females); Ilhéu do Ferro (1 female); Desertas: Bugio N (130 females, 30 males); Bugio S (116 females, 34 males); Castanheira N (13 females, 5 males); Castanheira S (3 females); Doca (10 females, 5 males); Eira (1 female); Ilhéu Chão N (1 female); Ilhéu Chão S (1 female).

Remarks.

A very common fly in temperate areas of the Holarctic Region (Zumpt 1965). It is practically cosmopolitan, widespread throughout the major zoogeographical regions (Smith 1986, Rognes 1991), and is directly connected to human activity ( Martínez-Sánchez et al. 2002). Lucilia sericata was found in all island groups of the Madeira Archipelago where it was occasionally recorded in high abundance. The adults are attracted mainly to carrion or open wounds (usually with necrotic tissues) (Zumpt 1965).