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
425:
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
256:
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
318:
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
362:
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
418:
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.
496:(EPSPs) and facilitation of EPSPs in response to repetitive stimulation. With such a wide range of food sources, the larvae can be considered facultative predators,
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1308:
408:
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.
865:
Greenberg, B; Wells, JD (1998). "Forensic use of
Megaselia abdita and M. Scalaris (Phoridae: Diptera): Case studies, development rates, and egg structure".
792:
Sukontason, K; Sukontason, KL; Piangjai, S; Boonchu, N; Chaiwong, T; Vogtsberger, RC (2003). "Mouthparts of
Megaselia scalaris (Loew) (Diptera: Phoridae)".
351:
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
1243:
830:
1282:
688:"A Laboratory-Based Study for First Documented Case of Urinary Myiasis Caused by Larvae of Megaselia scalaris (Diptera: Phoridae) in Saudi Arabia"
975:
Harrison, DA; Cooper, RL (2003). "Characterization of development, behavior and neuromuscular physiology in the phorid fly, Megaselia scalaris".
245:
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
323:
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.
1405:
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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".
431:
405:
207:
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
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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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203:, digging six feet deep in order to reach buried corpses. It is one of the more common
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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
43:
937:
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).
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620:"Mouthparts of Megaselia scalaris (Loew) (Diptera: Phoridae)"
525:"Diptera Americae septentrionalis indigena. Centuria Septima"
970:
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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
441:
Evidence collected by forensic entomologists involving
434:, which may help establish an estimated time of death.
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374:. One theory to the evolution of these teeth is that
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Many of the flies within the family
Phoridae prefer
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476:studies. Research has also been done on the unique
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378:uses them in order to exit their pupal casings.
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414:are small in size; this allows them to locate
294:, and adult. There are three distinct larval
8:
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977:Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A
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218:was described by the German entomologist
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1045:Peterson B. V. (1987). Phoridae. In:
951:10.1146/annurev.ento.53.103106.093415
7:
1324:2644681b-2206-4a52-bc79-5d83f000a33d
1236:2c855269-cd59-4c3d-877d-f6310566071c
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1047:Manual of Nearctic Diptera. Vol. 2.
837:. Australian Museum. 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
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1345:Open Tree of Life
1070:Taxon identifiers
339:source; however,
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16:(Redirected from
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565:. p. 727.
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478:neurophysiology
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630:(8): 345–350.
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492:has decreased
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327:Feeding habits
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310:Pupa and adult
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280:holometabolous
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27:Species of fly
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1051:The full text
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1038:9780412565205
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800:(8): 345–50.
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1017:Bibliography
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873:(3): 205–9.
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843:. Retrieved
839:the original
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698:(1): 33–36.
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670:. Retrieved
667:bugguide.net
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537:. Retrieved
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529:Berl. Ent. Z
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1257:iNaturalist
1102:Wikispecies
835:Deathonline
767:Disney 1994
755:Disney 1994
743:Disney 1994
498:parasitoids
490:M. scalaris
436:M. scalaris
428:M. scalaris
300:M. scalaris
226:Description
1380:Categories
672:2022-01-08
508:References
357:mouthparts
345:omnivorous
265:Life cycle
89:Arthropoda
985:CiteSeerX
945:: 39–60.
712:0023-4001
502:parasites
314:The male
259:spiracles
222:in 1866.
137:Species:
130:Megaselia
75:Kingdom:
69:Eukaryota
1386:Phoridae
1275:10520698
1153:BugGuide
1129:BioLib:
1093:Q4043921
1087:Wikidata
1053:(53 MB)
1007:14511761
959:17622197
921:15639575
814:14680919
730:18344675
644:14680919
539:14 March
474:bioassay
304:pupation
240:sensilla
232:labellum
211:Taxonomy
197:Phoridae
119:Phoridae
115:Family:
85:Phylum:
79:Animalia
65:Domain:
1249:1547108
887:9615535
845:19 July
721:2526290
600:Oct 21,
470:genetic
451:myiasis
421:Often,
416:carrion
382:Habitat
372:exudate
349:Protein
296:instars
278:fly is
251:tergite
205:species
201:coffins
193:Diptera
171:, 1866)
125:Genus:
109:Diptera
105:Order:
99:Insecta
95:Class:
1363:987891
1350:430572
1337:106709
1321:NZOR:
1288:139476
1262:329926
1197:MGASSC
1184:735077
1145:521238
1132:122485
1057:
1035:
1005:
987:
957:
919:
885:
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794:Micron
728:
718:
710:
642:
624:Micron
569:
535:: 1–54
343:is an
337:energy
335:as an
333:nectar
236:labrum
1358:WoRMS
1314:36166
1270:IRMNG
1223:63720
1210:74212
1205:EUNIS
1171:3YYP5
1158:40695
500:, or
390:'
288:larva
247:cerci
1309:NCBI
1283:ITIS
1244:GBIF
1192:EPPO
1140:BOLD
1055:ISBN
1033:ISBN
1003:PMID
955:PMID
917:PMID
883:PMID
847:2013
810:PMID
726:PMID
708:ISSN
640:PMID
602:2022
567:ISBN
541:2022
480:and
292:pupa
234:and
178:The
169:Loew
1296:NBN
1179:EoL
1166:CoL
1117:AFD
995:doi
981:136
947:doi
909:doi
875:doi
802:doi
716:PMC
700:doi
632:doi
298:of
284:egg
180:fly
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