Effect of Temperature on the Development of Lucilia sericata (Meigen) and Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) from Alexandria, Egypt
*A. M. Kheirallah, T. I. Tantawi, A. H. Aly and Z. A. El-Moaty
Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
Accepted on August 18, 2006
Abstract
The influence of rearing temperature on the duration of development in two blow flies Lucilia sericata and Chrysomya albiceps was studied by rearing the insects at four different temperatures (17, 23, 29 and 35ºC). The minimum duration for each development stage, from egg oviposition to adult eclosion, were observed. Data from these studies were used to construct the isomorphen diagram and a temperature dependent model was calculated for each species. Compared to L. sericata, C. albiceps has a higher threshold of development and a longer duration of larval development. In addition, these results vary from those of other investigators elsewhere, suggesting a different thermal behaviour of these blow flies in various zoogeographic regions.