Effect of Temperature and Diet on the Developmental Time of Lucilia sericata

Blowfly larvae play an important role in the decomposition of animal remains, which is an important ecological function. To illustrate, forensic entomologists use the bodily dimensions and developmental stages of blowflies found in or on a dead body to calculate the time elapsed between death and discovery of a corpse, also known as the Post mortem interval.

The growth rate of these arthropods, particularly fly larvae, is influenced by a number of factors. The present paper discusses the effects of Diet and temperature factors on the total developmental durations of the blowfly Lucilia Sericata.

A total of 10-20 blowflies were collected and Lucilia sericata was identified using morphological identification. The total developmental duration from egg laying to adult emergence was estimated under different temperatures (20, 25, and 30°C) and tissues (pork liver, and pork muscle).

It was shown that temperature had an inverse relationship with the minimum time required for development from oviposition to adult emergence. The length of time it takes L. sericata to develop from an egg to an adult decreases with temperature under viable conditions. From oviposition to adult emergence, L. sericata needed 53.2% more hours to complete development when reared at 20°C than 25°C, 10.5% when reared at 25°C rather than 30°C, and 70.6% more time when reared at 20°C than 30°C. From oviposition to adult emergence, the development rate was 8.2 % faster from pork muscle to liver at 20°C, 10.8% faster from muscle to liver at 25°C, and 12.7 % faster from muscle to liver at 30°C.