Checklist of Insects (Order: Diptera) Present in Different Local Fish Markets at Vadasery, Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu, India

Insects are pervasive in the environment and play important roles in maintaining the stability of ecosystem by being a part of the food chain, mediating decomposing process and through various ecological interactions such as pollination, predation and herbivory. The study focused on documenting the diversity of diptera species found in the two local fish markets located in vadasery. This study was conducted from 6th July 2023 to 29th July 2023, spanning a duration of four weeks. The study area was divided into two zones and a systemic record of the presence and absence of Diptera individuals was maintained for various fish species. A total of 8460 Diptera individuals were collected comprising predominantly Muscidae, Calliphoridae and Sacrophagidae families. Zone A yielded 785 Muscidae, 698 Calliphoridae and 62 Sacrophagidae individuals, whereas Zone B recorded 4,463 Muscidae, 2303 Calliphoridae and 149 Sacrophagidae individuals. In this study, diptera species were recorded from vadasery fish market, revealing that they are frequented by Calyptrate families in both zones. The findings highlight the market’s potential as breeding grounds for disease carrying flies, emphasizing their significance as a public concern.