title: Attempts to culture the parasitic stage of Dermatobia hominis (L. Jr.) in vitro (Diptera: Cuterebridae).
abstract: Dermatobia hominis larvae were cultured in a semidefined liquid medium. First-instar larvae (L1) grew well up to 44 days; 29.1% molted in a mean period of 8.62 days. Two larvae reached the third instar but lived only 1 and 18 days, respectively, after the second molt. The increase in size, measured in 4 larvae, was about 10-fold. Second- and third-instar larvae, obtained from the skin of cattle, survived and grew in the medium for up to 2 mo; 39.0% of the L2 molted while 77.3% of the L3 pupated, and some produced flies when transferred to sand after 14.84 +/- 10.08 days in the culture medium. Some maturation factor, obtained from the skin, may be necessary for the larvae to grow satisfactorily and to complete the full parasitic cycle in vitro.
authors: Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica.
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Zeledón
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Silva
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000469:parasitology; D003470:Culture Media; D004175:Diptera / Q000254:growth & development*; D007814:Larva / Q000254:growth & development; D009198:Myiasis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media