Journal of Entomological Research

The scuttle fly, Megaselia scalaris (Diptera: Phoridae) was recorded for first time in Maharashtra on fermented wheat bran from Nesolynx thymus mass multiplication lab using wheat bran as food for maggot of House fly, Musca domestica L. The developmental stages and morphometric characteristics of Megaselia scalaris were studied under laboratory conditions. The hatching span ranged from one to two days. The humpbacked fly has three maggot instar with 2 days each instar. The female pupae were larger than male pupae as well as male adult fly emerged two days earlier than females. The pupal span and Adult lonigitivity were 6-8 days and 5-7 days subsequently. Morphometric analysis showed females flies 3.56 ± 0.06 mm (length),1.23 ± 0.07 mm(breadth) were larger than males. Abdominal banding patterns distiguished between sexes with six distinct dark bands in females while in males, no distinct dark bands.