Development of the green bottle fly Lucilia illustris at constant temperatures.
Lucilia illustris (Meigen 1826) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) is a cosmopolitan species that commonly colonizes carcasses and occasionally acts as parasites of humans or livestock, making it an insect of significant importance in forensic, medical, and veterinary entomology. However, only a few studies have documented the development of L. illustris. Here, we studied the developmental duration and larval body length changes of L. illustris under nine constant temperatures ranging from 15.0 to 35.0°C. Using these results, we generated an isomorphen diagram, thermal summation model, and isomegalen diagram for L. illustris. Simulation equations of the variation in the larval body length with time after hatching and variation in time after hatching with the body length were also obtained. L. illustris could complete its life cycle in 15.0-32.5°C, while its development was incomplete at 35.0°C, where the pupae failed to transform into adults. The development duration was 955.5±16.9, 625.7±16.9, 509.3±18.3, 410.0±17.0, 346.7±12.2, 290.2±6.7, 257.1±8.9, and 234.8±3.2h at 15.0, 17.5, 20.0, 22.5, 25.0, 27.5, 30.0, and 32.5°C, respectively. The developmental threshold temperature and thermal constant were 9.30±0.19°C and 5367.2±98.3°Ch, respectively. These results provide an important basis for the use of L. illustris development-based estimation of the minimum postmortem interval (PMImin) in forensic entomology.
Department of Forensic Medicine, Soochow University, Ganjiang East Road, Suzhou, China.
Yu
Y
Wang
Department of Forensic Medicine, Soochow University, Ganjiang East Road, Suzhou, China.
Liang-Liang
LL
Li
Department of Forensic Medicine, Soochow University, Ganjiang East Road, Suzhou, China. Electronic address: jfwang@suda.edu.cn.
Jiang-Feng
JF
Wang
Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Wushan Road, Guangzhou, China.
Min
M
Wang
Department of Forensic Medicine, Soochow University, Ganjiang East Road, Suzhou, China.
Li-Jun
LJ
Yang
Department of Forensic Medicine, Soochow University, Ganjiang East Road, Suzhou, China.
Lu-Yang
LY
Tao
Department of Forensic Medicine, Soochow University, Ganjiang East Road, Suzhou, China.
Ying-Na
YN
Zhang
Criminal Police Branch, Suzhou Public Security Bureau, Renmin Road, Suzhou, China.
Yi-Ding
YD
Hou
Criminal Police Branch, Suzhou Public Security Bureau, Renmin Road, Suzhou, China.
Jun
J
Chu
Criminal Police Branch, Suzhou Public Security Bureau, Renmin Road, Suzhou, China.
Zai-Lin
ZL
Hou
D000818:Animals; D004175:Diptera / Q000254:growth & development*; D004772:Entomology; D007814:Larva / Q000254:growth & development; D010058:Oviposition; D011679:Pupa / Q000254:growth & development; D013696:Temperature
Development; Forensic entomology; Isomegalen/isomorphen diagram; Lucilia illustris; Postmortem interval; Thermal summation model