The muscid Synthesiomyia nudiseta (van der Wulp, 1883) is a species with forensic importance in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. This fly has recently been introduced into southern Europe and, until now, had not been recorded in forensic cases in this region. Here, morphology of all larval instars of S. nudiseta is documented in detail by using a combination of light and scanning ...

The stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.) (Diptera: Muscidae), is one of the most significant biting flies that affect cattle. The use of traditional insecticides for stable fly control has only a limited success owing to the insect's unique feeding behaviours and immature development sites. A laboratory study was conducted to evaluate the effects of two insect growth regulator (IGR) products, p...

One method of control of house flies, Musca domestica L. (Diptera: Muscidae), and other filth flies is by repeated release of large numbers of pupal parasitoids such as Spalangia endius Walker. Rearing these parasitoids may be facilitated by understanding how host factors affect their production. Previous studies have examined the effects of host size and host age on parasitoid production, but ...

Reproductive potential was assessed for stable fly cohorts fed cattle, chicken, or horse blood. Flies provided chicken blood oviposited 20% more eggs per day than did those fed cattle or horse blood. However, flies provided cattle or horse blood were fecund 50% longer. When both egg viability and number of eggs produced were considered, lifetime reproductive potential was almost twice as high f...

This study examined pig carcasses buried at two different depths, 30 and 60 cm, to determine if insects were able to colonize buried carcasses, when they arrive at each depth, and what fauna were present over seven sampling dates to establish an insect succession database on buried carrion in East Lansing, MI. Thirty-eight pigs were buried, 18 at 30 cm and 20 at 60 cm. Four control carcasses we...

Philornis Meinert larvae are known as parasites of birds, with coprophagous, semi-hematophagous or hematophagous habits. Biological data of the larvae of the fifty described species are still scarcely known. Here we describe some aspects of the parasitism of a species of Philornis on Thalurania glaucopis Gmelin (Trochilidae) and record two species of Chalcididae (Hymenoptera) parasitoids, Conur...

In the house fly, Musca domestica L. (Diptera: Muscidae), sex is usually determined by a dominant factor, M, located on the Y chromosome. However, there are autosomal male (A(M)) populations in which the M factor is located on one or more of the five autosomes (I-V), most commonly on the third chromosome. Herein we report the use of isogenic strains to determine the relative fitness of Y(M) ver...

Field trials investigating the effect of visual cues on catches of Musca domestica (Diptera: Muscidae) at toxic targets impregnated with the female sex pheromone (Z)-9-tricosene, were conducted in a caged-layer deep-pit poultry unit in southern England. Targets treated with azamethiphos and baited with 2.5 g of 40% (Z)-9-tricosene impregnated beads caught significantly greater numbers of M. dom...

The adults, puparium and 3rd instar larva of a dung-breeding fly, Musca nevilli sp. nov. are described in the subgenus Eumusca. The adults are characterized by 4 dark postsutural mesonotal vittae, 1-2 bristles dorsally on the stem vein, the hairs on the ventral surface of r4 + 5 confined to the vein base, and the predominantly orange-yellow tergite I + II. The species is compared with other sou...

The susceptibility of the egg, pupa, and adult of Haematobia irritans (L.) (Diptera: Muscidae) to isolates of the fungi Metarhizium anisopliae (Metsch.) Sor., Beauveria bassiana (Bals.) Vuill., and Paecilomyces fumosoroseus (Wize) Brown and Smith, was evaluated under laboratory conditions. Groups of 20 eggs than 4 h old, pupae less than 48h old and adults were sprayed with a conidial suspension...