Tracking movement and temperature selection of larvae of two forensically important blow fly species within a "maggot mass"
RIS ID
96282
Abstract
The current study responds to the lack of understanding about the temperatures experienced by individual blow fly larvae within "maggot masses." The temperature selection of both aggregating (in a mass) and nonaggregating larvae was compared and their pattern of movement assessed. Infrared imaging determined the temperatures within a mass and in the vicinity of the constituent individual larvae, whose movements were tracked by dyeing their tissues red. Individual Chrysomya rufifacies larvae selected temperatures above 27°C, significantly higher than the temperature selected by Calliphora vicina larvae (24.5°C). However, this same difference was not seen within a mass, with both species selecting temperatures around 28°C. Larval movement in a mass was nonrandom, indicating that larvae actively select their position in a mass. Furthermore, larvae have a strong tendency to select the hottest part of a mass; therefore, maximum mass temperatures might provide a reliable proxy for the actual temperatures experienced by larvae.
Grant Number
ARC/LP0883711
Publication Details
Johnson, A. P., Wighton, S. J. & Wallman, J. F. (2014). Tracking movement and temperature selection of larvae of two forensically important blow fly species within a "maggot mass". Journal of Forensic Sciences, 59 (6), 1586-1591.