title: Mass rearing of Lucilia sericata Meigen (Diptera: Calliphoridae).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To carry out an experimental study with the main objective of mass rearing of sheep flies (Lucilia sericata).
  
  
  METHODS
  Hand collection and beef- or cattle liver-baited net traps were used for field fly sampling from April, 2010 to November, 2010. The samples collected from different places were placed in properly labeled tubes and sent to the Entomology Laboratory. Since maggot identification is important in inducing mortality, they were kept under insectary condition to develop to adult stage and identified using systematic keys.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 218 flies were collected in three rounds of sampling from the field of Tehran and Karaj Counties. In the first generation, 433 flies including 135 (31.17%) male, and 298 (68.82%) female were yielded. The female/male of parent ratio was calculated as 1.72 in Tehran and in Karaj areas, whereas it was 2.20% and 1.81%, respectively in F1 and F2 generations, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  During this study, the mass rearing of sheep blow fly has been established at the School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences and can be used for producing flies for maggot therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Entomology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Firoozfar
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Moosa-Kazemi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baniardalani
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abolhassani
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khoobdel
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rafinejd
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004175:Diptera; D005260:Female; D066298:In Vitro Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D007492:Iran; D007814:Larva; D008297:Male; D013812:Therapeutics / Q000379:methods
keywords: Insectary condition; Lucilia sericata; Maggot therapy; Mass rearing; Rearing; Sheep blow fly; Systematic keys