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Rates of development of immatures of three species of Chrysomya (Diptera: Calliphoridae) reared in different types of animal tissues: implications for estimating the postmortem interval

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Abstract

Blowflies have major medical and sanitary importance because they can be vectors of viruses, bacteria, and helminths and are also causative agents of myiasis. Also, these flies, especially those belonging to the genus Chrysomya, are among the first insects to arrive at carcasses and are therefore valuable in providing data for the estimation of the minimum postmortem interval (PMImin). The PMImin can be calculated by assessing the weight, length, or development stage of blowfly larvae. Lack of information on the variables that might affect these parameters in different fly species can generate inaccuracies in estimating the PMImin. This study evaluated the effects of different types of bovine tissues (the liver, muscle, tongue, and stomach) and chicken heart on the development rates of larvae of Chrysomya albiceps Wiedemann, Chrysomya megacephala Fabricius, and Chrysomya putoria Wiedemann (Diptera: Calliphoridae). The efficiency of each rearing substrate was assessed by maggot weight gain (mg), larval development time (h), larval and pupal survival (%), and emergence interval (h). The development rates of larvae of all blowfly species studied here were directly influenced by the type of food substrate. Tissues that have high contents of protein and fat (muscle and heart) allowed the highest larval weight gain. For bovine liver, all Chrysomya species showed slower growth, by as much as 48 h, compared to the other tissues. Different rates of development are probably associated with specific energy requirements of calliphorids and the nutritional composition of each type of food.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by funds from FAPESP (São Paulo Research Foundation), grant numbers 04/08544-0 and 06/60504-9.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology and Biology, Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel), POB 354, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, 96010-900, Brazil

    Patricia Jacqueline Thyssen

  2. Department of Animal Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), POB 6109, Campinas, São Paulo, 13083-970, Brazil

    Carina Mara de Souza, Paula Midori Shimamoto & Thais de Britto Salewski

  3. Department of Biology, Ribeirão Preto School of Philosophy, Sciences and Literature, University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, 14040901, Brazil

    Thiago Carvalho Moretti

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  1. Patricia Jacqueline Thyssen
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  2. Carina Mara de Souza
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  4. Thais de Britto Salewski
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  5. Thiago Carvalho Moretti
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Correspondence to Patricia Jacqueline Thyssen.

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Thyssen, P.J., de Souza, C.M., Shimamoto, P.M. et al. Rates of development of immatures of three species of Chrysomya (Diptera: Calliphoridae) reared in different types of animal tissues: implications for estimating the postmortem interval. Parasitol Res 113, 3373–3380 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-014-4002-x

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