ULTRASTRUCTURAL MORPHOLOGY OF THE ANTENNA AND BUCCAL APPARATUS OF FOUR FLIES OF FORENSIC IMPORTANCE

Resumen

Insects and other arthropods are found in decomposing vertebrate corps and carcasses. In forensic entomology, the right identification is essential. The purpose of this study was to examine in detail the morphological aspects of sensilla on the antennae and maxillary palps of Cochliomyia macellaria (Fabricius, 1775), Chloroprocta idioidea (Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830) (Diptera: Calliphoridae), Graphomya maculata (Scopoli, 1973) and Sarcopromusca pruna (Shannon and Del Point, 1926) (Diptera: Muscidae). Adults of aforementioned species were collected on carcass of Oryctolagus sp Lilljebord 1873 in Instituto Samambaia de Ciências Ambientais e Ecoturismo (ISCAE), Petropolis - Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. In this investigation, four types of sensilla (microtrichia, trichoide, basiconic and chaetic) were distributed throughout the different antennae segments. Buccal apparatus (proboscis and labellum) were also observed. This investigation provided new diagnostic structures on the distribution of the sensilla on the antennae and buccal apparatus of flies of forensic importance using SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy), since many of them could not be observed just by the use of light microscopy.