Galapagos Species Database
The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.
Cochliomyia macellaria
mosquitos y moscas, secondary screw worm fly
Throughout the New World studies have shown that C. megacephala is a stronger competitor against Cochliomyia macellaria in the presence of C. albiceps, leading to drastic decreases in population of C. macellaria. The last specimens of C. marcellaria currently know were collected in February and March 1970 (MCZ), it can be assumed that populations were suppressed sometime between 1970 and 1985 (first record of C. albiceps) (Peck et al. 1998).
Domain
Eukaryota
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Arthropoda
Class
Insecta
Order
Diptera
Suborder
Brachycera
Family
Calliphoridae
Genus
Cochliomyia
Species
macellaria
Taxon category: Accepted
Syn: Musca phauda Walker 1849: 896; Lucilia quadrisignata Thomson 1869: 544.
Origin: Cryptogenic
Distribution: Baltra, Española, Floreana, Genovesa, Isabela, Pinzón, San Cristóbal, Santa Cruz, Santa Fé, Santiago.
- Peck, S.B. Heraty, J., Landry, B. & Sinclair, B.J. (1998) Introduced insect fauna of an oceanic archipelago: The Galápagos Islands, Ecuador. Am. Entomol. 44: 218-237.
- Sinclair, B.J. Peck, S.B. (2005) An annotated checklist of the Diptera of the Galápagos Archipelago (Ecuador). Charles Darwin Research Station, unpublished, 64 pp.
- James, M.T. (1966) The blow flies of the Galapagos Islands (Diptera: Calliphoridae). Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, Fourth Series 34(10): 475-482.
- Johnson, C.W. (1924) Diptera of the Williams Galapagos Expedition. Zoologica 5(8): 85-92.
- Curran, C.H. (1934) The Templeton Crocker Expedition of the California Academy of Sciences, 1932. No. 13 Diptera. Calif. Acad. Sc., Fourth Series 21(13): 147-172.
- Curran, C.H. (1932) The Norwegian Zoological Expedition to the Galapagos Islands 1925, Conducted by Alf Wollebæk. 4. Diptera. (Excl. of Tipulidae and Culicidae). Medd. Zool. Mus., Oslo 30: 347-366.
- Linsley, E.G. Usinger, R.L. (1966) Insects of the Galápagos Islands. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences Fourth Series 33(7): 113-196.
- Linsley, E.G. (1977) Insects of the Galápagos (Supplement). Occassional Papers of the Califoria Academy of Sciences 125: 1-50.
- Peck, S.B. (1996) Origin and development of an insect fauna on a remote archipelago: The Galápagos Islands, Ecuador. In: Keast A., Miller S.E. (eds.): The origin and evolution of Pacific Island biotas, New Guinea to eastern Polynesia: patterns and processes. SPB Academic Publishing, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, p. 91-122.
- Tantawi, T.I. Sinclair, B.J. (2013) An update of the blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) of the Galápagos Islands, and first record of Chrysomya rufifacies (Macquart) from mainland Ecuador Zootaxa 3750 (3): 237–250
- Tarek, I. Tantawi, Bradley, J. Sinclair (2013) An update of the blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) of the Galápagos Islands, and first record of Chrysomya rufifacies (Macquart) from mainland Ecuador Zootaxa 3750 (3): 237–250
- Sinclair, B. J. (2023) An annotated checklist of the Diptera of the Galápagos Archipelago (Ecuador). Zootaxa, 5283, 1-102
You are welcome to download and use the information found in this page, acknowledging its source.
This page should be cited as follows:
"Galapagos Species Database, Cochliomyia macellaria", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=12407. Accessed 16 July 2025.