Life Cycle of Chrysomya rufifacies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) Under Semi-Controlled Laboratory Conditions.

Adult Calliphoridae flies, as well as their immature stages collected from carcasses, have been used as evidence in forensic investigations to estimate the postmortem interval (PMI), particularly those of the genus Chrysomya as it is one of the first genera to colonize a corpse. Chrysomya rufifacies (Macquart 1842), due to its appearance in cadaveric remains, plays a fundamental role in the study of forensic entomology. For this reason, we determined the biological cycle of C. rufifacies under semicontrolled laboratory conditions: uncontrolled average fluctuating temperature of 29. 76 ± 3. 22°C, uncontrolled average fluctuating humidity of 48. 91 ± 11.13%, and a controlled photoperiod of 12/12 (L/O). We established that the total development time from oviposition to adult emergence of C. rufifacies was 6. 5 d. The eggs took 12 h to hatch after oviposition. The complete larval stage took 60 h (instar 1 = 12 h, instar 2 = 12 h, instar 3 = 24 h, instar 3 post-feeding = 12 h). The pupa had a duration of 84 h. The species needed a total of 4642.8(±4.59) accumulated degree-hours (ADH) to complete its biological cycle.

Flesh Flies (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) Attracted to a Snake Carcass (Boa constrictor) in Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico.

A study was carried out to determine Sarcophagidae diversity attracted to the different stages of decomposition of a Boa constrictor cadaver during late winter in the Yucatan Peninsula. As a result of this study, seven species of Sarcophagidae were documented, Oxysarcodexia conclausa (Walker, 1861) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae), Peckia (Euboettcheria) volucris (Wulp, 1895) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae), Blaesoxipha (Gigantotheca) plinthopyga (Wiedemann, 1830) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae), Oxysarcodexia amorosa (Schiner, 1868) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae), Ravinia derelicta (Walker, 1853) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae), Ravinia effrenata (Walker, 1861) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae), and Titanogrypa (Cucullomyia) placida (Aldrich, 1925) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae), The last five species listed are the first documentation of their presence in the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. Sarcophagids were present throughout the decomposition process; however, the greatest abundance and diversity of this family were present during the advanced decay stage. This is the first work on flesh flies in the region and the first in the country that has focused on wildlife.