Study of Fauna and Biodiversity of Medically Important Flies in Juybar, North of Iran

Background and purpose: Flies have a high diversity and are able to transmit many pathogens due to their adaptation and close relationship with humans. Therefore, this study was performed to identify the fauna of medically important flies in the city of Joybar in northern Iran. Materials and methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted twice a month in Juybar at selected sites, including hospital landfills, coastal waste, rural waste, municipal waste, and around a slaughterhouse in 2017. The flies were identified using valid identification keys and the species diversity parameters were evaluated based on Shannon index, Margalef index, and Evenness index. Results: In this study, seven species of medically important flies, including Muscina stabulans, Musca domestica, Lucilia caesar, Lucilia sericata, Calliphora vicina, Sarcophaga argyrostoma and Sarcophaga africa were caught from Muscidae, Calliphoridae, and Sarcophagidae families. According to Pearson correlation, the population of flies increases significantly (P<0.005) with increasing temperature and decreasing humidity. Shannon index showed the highest and lowest diversity values in coastal waste (H´=1.005) and urban waste (H´=0.27), respectively. Conclusion: Mosca domestica, as the most common and abundant species could considerably affect the health of the region and cause changes in the species diversity of flies. The difference in diversity of flies in different areas is mainly due to changes in the species evenness in these areas. Also, the diversity of flies in the region can be a warning sign for the spread of diseases. Control measures such as appropriate waste management are necessary to prevent epidemic outbreaks transmitted by flies.