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Megaselia scalaris

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57: 44: 302:. The third instar of development usually lasts longer than the first two because there are dramatic changes from a larva into a fly. The development of each life cycle depends on the environmental conditions in which the larvae are feeding or being reared. It generally occurs "at 22-24°C, the first instar lasts 1-2 days, the second 1-2 days, and the third 3-4 days before 242:, and the labellum's ventral surface has five pairs of sharp teeth. The hind femur has hairs below its basal half and these are shorter than hairs in an anteroventral row on the distal half. The hind tibia lacks a clearly differentiated row of spine-like antero-dorsal hairs. There is a pair of translucent wings, in which vein 3 is not or barely broader than the costa. 393:
primarily on sugars. The larvae, however, depend on moist decaying plant or animal material and feed on a wide range of additional decaying material. "The larvae display a unique behavior of swallowing air when exposed to pools of liquid. This intake of air allows them to float, and may prevent drowning during flood conditions in their normal habitat."
199:, and it is widely distributed in warm regions of the world. The family members are commonly known as the "humpbacked fly", the "coffin fly", and the "scuttle fly". The name "scuttle fly" derives from the jerky, short bursts of running, characteristic to the adult fly. The name "coffin fly" is due to their being found in 392:
optimal culture temperature is 28 °C. They are common in many areas but thrive predominately in moist unsanitary vicinities such as dumpsters, trash containers, rotting meat, vegetable remains, public washrooms, homes, and sewer pipes. Although referred to as scavengers, adults are known to feed
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may be the only forensic entomological evidence available if the carrion is obstructed or concealed in a place that is hard for other insects to reach. Larger flies are not always able to reach the carrion. Calculations involving
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Larvae of this species are pale, legless and covered in rows of short spines. The anterior end has the mouthparts, which look like a pair of sharp spines and are darker than the surrounding tissue. The posterior end has a pair of
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fly matures more quickly than the female pupa, emerging two days prior to the females. Emerging before the females gives the males the advantage to feed, allowing their sperm to mature by the time the females emerge. Adult
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The sharp teeth possessed by adults are not used in retrieval of a food source, like a piercing mouthpart, but are instead used to aid digestion and breakdown of nutrients. Human cases involving skin
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buried within the ground and to locate bodies concealed in coffins. They can travel 0.5 m in a four-day period. They lay their eggs on carrion to provide food for the hatched larvae.
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because evidence derived from the lifecycle and behavior of these flies is useful in both medicocriminal and abuse/neglect cases and is admissible in court.
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Greenberg, B; Wells, JD (1998). "Forensic use of Megaselia abdita and M. Scalaris (Phoridae: Diptera): Case studies, development rates, and egg structure".
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Sukontason, K; Sukontason, KL; Piangjai, S; Boonchu, N; Chaiwong, T; Vogtsberger, RC (2003). "Mouthparts of Megaselia scalaris (Loew) (Diptera: Phoridae)".
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food sources are preferred by the females preceding maturation of their eggs. All meals must be a fluid in order for the flies to access the meal because
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Harrison, DA; Cooper, RL (2003). "Characterization of development, behavior and neuromuscular physiology in the phorid fly, Megaselia scalaris".
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In males, the labellum has a dense covering of microtrichia, the bristles at the tip of the anal tube are longer than the longest hairs of the
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reproduce by means of oviposition. The females lay relatively large eggs for their size due to the extended incubation period of the eggs.
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of the sixth abdominal segment is short, narrow, shiny, and extends laterally on the segment, unlike tergites of preceding segments.
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is commonly used in research and within the lab because it is easily cultured; this species is used in experiments involving
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Sukontason, Kom; Sukontason, Kabkaew L; Piangjai, Somsak; Boonchu, Noppawan; Chaiwong, Tarinee; Vogtsberger, Roy C (2003).
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and a further 1-2 days before pupation." The larvae are usually very small, roughly between 1 and 8 mm in length.
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Benecke, M; Josephi, E; Zweihoff, R (2004). "Neglect of the elderly: Forensic entomology cases and considerations".
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can feed on blood meals, the teeth are not used to puncture the host. The blood must be found on the body as an
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has been used to demonstrate in court that caretakers have neglected the care of their elderly patients.
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larvae found on a body can be used in court as a tool to show "time of death" or "time of neglect".
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found within the family Phoridae; more than 370 species have been identified within North America.
619: 249:, and the longest hair of the left side of the epandrium is almost bristle-like. In females, the 51: 1274: 1385: 1344: 1165: 1054: 1032: 1002: 954: 916: 882: 809: 725: 707: 639: 566: 356: 1349: 994: 946: 908: 874: 801: 715: 699: 631: 484:
junction within this fly, giving it its characteristic "scuttle" movement. In comparison to
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are classified in a secondary forensic role because they prefer older decaying carrion.
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Canada Department of Agriculture Research Branch, Monograph no. 27, p. 689-712.
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are likely due to these teeth. It is important to note the distinction that while
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Disney, R.H.L. (2008). "Natural History of the Scuttle Fly, Megaselia scalaris".
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Adults of this species are about 2 mm long and yellowish with dark markings. The
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Triplehorn, Charles A; Johnson, Norman F; Borror, Donald Joyce (2005).
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species. It has been recorded feeding on plants, wounds, and corpses.
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can result in an insect colonization time that can be used for a
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MAF Plant Health & Environment Laboratory (Apr 11, 2014).
192: 179: 108: 620:"Mouthparts of Megaselia scalaris (Loew) (Diptera: Phoridae)" 525:"Diptera Americae septentrionalis indigena. Centuria Septima" 970: 968: 282:, consisting of four distinct stages. These stages include: 359:. This is a characteristic common to the family Phoridae. 562:
Borror and DeLong's introduction to the study of insects
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Evidence collected by forensic entomologists involving
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Many of the flies within the family Phoridae prefer
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Archived from 692:The Korean Journal of Parasitology 494:excitatory postsynaptic potentials 25: 595:"Megaselia scalaris (Loew, 1866)" 397:Importance to forensic entomology 831:"Coffin Flies - Family Phoridae" 55: 913:10.1016/j.forsciint.2004.09.061 905:Forensic Science International 404:are important in the study of 1: 999:10.1016/S1095-6433(03)00200-9 867:Journal of Medical Entomology 449:is also involved in cases of 806:10.1016/j.micron.2003.08.003 663:"Species Megaselia scalaris" 636:10.1016/j.micron.2003.08.003 1027:Scuttle Flies: The Phoridae 939:Annual Review of Entomology 461:Current and future research 191:) is a member of the order 1422: 238:have trichoid and conical 1396:Insects described in 1866 157: 150: 52:Scientific classification 50: 41: 34: 1401:Diptera of North America 1023:Disney, R. H. L (1994). 879:10.1093/jmedent/35.3.205 704:10.3347/kjp.2008.46.1.33 686:Wakid, Majed H. (2008). 486:Drosophila melanogaster 1031:. Chapman & Hall. 523:Loew, Hermann (1866). 907:. 146 Suppl: S195–9. 472:, developmental, and 1231:Fauna Europaea (new) 1391:Forensic entomology 841:on February 1, 2008 432:postmortem interval 406:forensic entomology 274:The development of 1406:Laboratory animals 1122:Megaselia_scalaris 1108:Megaselia scalaris 1078:Megaselia scalaris 745:, pp. 103–110 466:Megaselia scalaris 455:Megaselia scalaris 447:Megaselia scalaris 443:Megaselia scalaris 423:Megaselia scalaris 412:Megaselia scalaris 402:Megaselia scalaris 387:Megaselia scalaris 376:Megaselia scalaris 368:Megaselia scalaris 353:Megaselia scalaris 341:Megaselia scalaris 321:Megaselia scalaris 316:Megaselia scalaris 276:Megaselia scalaris 216:Megaselia scalaris 187:(often called the 184:Megaselia scalaris 161:Megaselia scalaris 36:Megaselia scalaris 1373: 1372: 1345:Open Tree of Life 1070:Taxon identifiers 339:source; however, 176: 175: 16:(Redirected from 1413: 1366: 1365: 1353: 1352: 1340: 1339: 1327: 1326: 1317: 1316: 1304: 1303: 1301:NBNSYS0100003935 1291: 1290: 1278: 1277: 1265: 1264: 1252: 1251: 1239: 1238: 1226: 1225: 1213: 1212: 1200: 1199: 1187: 1186: 1174: 1173: 1161: 1160: 1148: 1147: 1135: 1134: 1125: 1124: 1112: 1111: 1110: 1097: 1096: 1095: 1065: 1042: 1030: 1011: 1010: 992: 972: 963: 962: 934: 925: 924: 900: 891: 890: 862: 851: 850: 848: 846: 827: 818: 817: 789: 770: 764: 758: 752: 746: 740: 734: 733: 723: 683: 677: 676: 674: 673: 659: 648: 647: 615: 606: 605: 603: 601: 590: 577: 576: 556: 545: 544: 542: 540: 520: 391: 163: 143:M. scalaris 60: 59: 46: 32: 21: 1421: 1420: 1416: 1415: 1414: 1412: 1411: 1410: 1376: 1375: 1374: 1369: 1361: 1356: 1348: 1343: 1335: 1332:Observation.org 1330: 1322: 1320: 1312: 1307: 1299: 1294: 1286: 1281: 1273: 1268: 1260: 1255: 1247: 1242: 1234: 1229: 1221: 1216: 1208: 1203: 1195: 1190: 1182: 1177: 1169: 1164: 1156: 1151: 1143: 1138: 1130: 1128: 1120: 1115: 1106: 1105: 1100: 1091: 1090: 1085: 1072: 1039: 1022: 1019: 1014: 990:10.1.1.558.7995 974: 973: 966: 936: 935: 928: 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152:Binomial name 149: 145: 144: 139: 136: 135: 132: 131: 127: 124: 123: 120: 117: 114: 113: 110: 107: 104: 103: 100: 97: 94: 93: 90: 87: 84: 83: 80: 77: 74: 73: 70: 67: 64: 63: 58: 53: 49: 45: 40: 37: 33: 30: 19: 18:Scuttle flies 1077: 1046: 1026: 1017:Bibliography 980: 976: 942: 938: 904: 873:(3): 205–9. 870: 866: 843:. Retrieved 839:the original 834: 797: 793: 762: 750: 738: 698:(1): 33–36. 695: 691: 681: 670:. Retrieved 667:bugguide.net 666: 627: 623: 598:. Retrieved 561: 537:. Retrieved 532: 529:Berl. Ent. 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Index

Scuttle flies

Scientific classification
Edit this classification
Eukaryota
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Phoridae
Megaselia
Binomial name
Loew
fly
Diptera
Phoridae
coffins
species
Hermann Loew
labellum
labrum
sensilla
cerci
tergite
spiracles
holometabolous
egg
larva
pupa
instars

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