Historical synthesis of Diptera–parasitoid associations in cattle dung and decomposing organic substrates in Central Brazil

Historical datasets can preserve ecological information that remains valuable long after the original field studies were completed, particularly when host identity, substrate, locality, puparium recovery, and parasitoid emergence are retained together. This study consolidated previously published records of Diptera and hymenopteran parasitoids obtained from cattle dung and other decomposing organic substrates in Central Brazil. The original observations were reorganized into a standardized historical matrix containing locality, sampling period, substrate, dipteran host, parasitoid identity, number of puparia examined, parasitized puparia or parasitoids emerged when available, original parasitism values, collection method, and numerical inconsistencies. Independent datasets were separated from subsets and later syntheses to avoid duplicate counting and pseudo-replication. Historical methods included direct exposure of fecal material and baited trapping systems, followed by recovery and individualization of puparia until emergence of flies or parasitoids. The reconstructed records revealed a taxonomically diverse assemblage involving several dipteran hosts and parasitoids associated with fecal and decomposing substrates. Quantitative comparisons showed marked heterogeneity in parasitoid composition between historical locality samples and among later dung-associated sampling groups. Chi-square analyses were applied only when original frequency data were directly comparable and expected frequencies were adequate. Host–parasitoid associations demonstrated that individual parasitoid taxa could occur with multiple dipteran hosts, while some hosts supported more than one parasitoid. Differences among sampling groups were interpreted cautiously because locality, substrate, sampling period, and collection method were not always experimentally separable. The synthesis also identified inconsistencies between tabulated counts and textual percentages in some historical publications, which were preserved transparently rather than silently corrected. Overall, the consolidated matrix provides an ecological baseline for parasitoid assemblages associated with synanthropic and decomposer Diptera and supports future comparisons in biological control, livestock entomology, and decomposer-community studies.