Chrysomya albiceps is a facultative predator and cannibal species during the larval stage. Very little is known about cannibalism and prey size preference, especially in blowflies. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the influence of prey size and larval density on cannibalism by third-instar larvae of C. albiceps under laboratory conditions. Our results indicate that no cannibalism occurs by third-instar larvae on first- and second-instar larvae, but third-instar larvae do eat second-instar larvae. The functional response on second-instar larvae is consistent with Holling type II. The consequences of consuming second-, compared to first- or third-, instar larvae as well as the implications of cannibalism for the population dynamics of C. albiceps are discussed.

Optimal foraging theory assumes that predators use different prey types to maximize their rate of energetic gain. Studies focusing on prey preference are important sources of information to understand the foraging dynamics of Chrysomya albiceps. The purpose of this investigation is to determine the influence of larval starvation in C. albiceps on the predation rate of different prey blowfly species and instars under laboratory conditions. Our results suggest that C. albiceps prefers Cochliomyia macellaria larvae to Chrysomya megacephala under non-starvation and starvation conditions. Nevertheless, predators gained more weight consuming C. macellaria. This result suggests that C. albiceps profit more in consuming C. macellaria rather than C. megacephala. The foraging behaviour displayed by C. abiceps on their prey and the consequences for the blowfly community are also discussed.

The sensitivity of parameters that govern the stability of population size in Chrysomya albiceps and describe its spatial dynamics was evaluated in this study. The dynamics was modeled using a density-dependent model of population growth. Our simulations show that variation in fecundity and mainly in survival has marked effect on the dynamics and indicates the possibility of transitions from one-point equilibrium to bounded oscillations. C. albiceps exhibits a two-point limit cycle, but the introduction of diffusive dispersal induces an evident qualitative shift from two-point limit cycle to a one fixed-point dynamics. Population dynamics of C. albiceps is here compared to dynamics of Cochliomyia macellaria, C. megacephala and C. putoria.

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP); Neste estudo, a variação sazonal da fecundidade, comprimentos de asa e tíbia foram investigadas em populações naturais de Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann, 1819) como uma forma de determinar as variações bionômicas da espécie em função da sazonalidade. Uma trajetória temporal constante foi encontrada para fecundidade, comprimentos de asa e tíbia durante vinte e quatro meses. Correlações positivas entre fecundidade e comprimento de asa, fecundidade e comprimento de tíbia e comprimentos de asa e tíbia foram observadas. As implicações destes resultados para a dinâmica populacional de C. albiceps foram discutidas.; In this study, the seasonal variation of fecundity, wing and tibia length were investigated in natural populations of Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann, 1819) in an attempt to determine the changes in life history of the species as a function of seasonality. A relative constant temporal trajectory was found for fecundity, wing and tibia length over twenty-four months. Positive correlations between fecundity and wing size, fecundity and tibia size and wing and tibia sizes were observed. The implications of these results for population dynamics of C. albiceps are discussed.

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP); Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq); As moscas-varejeiras utilizam substratos discretos e efêmeros para posturas dos ovos e para alimentação das larvas. Após a exaustão de recursos, as larvas começam a procurar por um sítio de pupação no habitat ou por mais fonte de alimento adicional (dispersão larval pós-alimentar). No entanto, o tipo de substrato de dispersão pode afetar este processo; assim, procurou-se avaliar o comportamento de dispersão de Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann 1819) por meio da localização das pupas em arenas circulares preenchidas com vermiculita, comparando-se com outros estudos feitos em serragem. As arenas foram dividas em 72 setores iguais a partir do centro de dispersão para facilitar a localização das pupas no substrato. A massa, a distância de dispersão do centro de arena, e a profundidade de cada pupa foram determinadas e verificou-se a relação entre peso, profundidade e distância do centro de dispersão. Pôde-se constatar que as larvas com menor massa foram as que percorreram maior distância do centro de dispersão, como também foi observado em estudos anteriores que empregaram outros substratos. O sítio de pupação da maioria dos indivíduos foi entre 2 e 8 cm de profundidade (média 4...

Chrysomya albiceps (Widemann) é uma mosca que se desenvolve em carcaças e opcionalmente pode causar miíase secundária. Larvas de segundo estádio foram removidas de uma lesão existente em uma ovelha da raça Merino em Botucatu. Entre a lã, ao redor da lesão, foram encontradas larvas de primeiro estádio. Também no interior da lesão foi obtida uma larva de terceiro estádio. As larvas foram mantidas em laboratório e delas obtidos insetos adultos, com 50 casais formados e mantidos em gaiolas por oito gerações. de cada geração, 100 adultos eram sacrificados e examinados morfologicamente, com os seus caracteres confrontados com os de Chrysomya rufifacies. A larva de terceiro estádio deu origem a Cochliomyia hominivorax e as demais a C. albiceps. Foi verificado que C. albiceps, além de ser capaz de danificar tecido integro, é também uma possível predadora de larvas de C. hominivorax. A importância de C. albiceps para os animais domésticos e sua associação com C. hominivorax é aqui discutida.; Chrysomya albiceps (Widemann) develops on animal carcasses and may cause secondary myiases. An adult female Merino sheep presented a lesion of roughly circular shape with a 7.5cm radius in the anterior part of the thorax. A large number of second-instar larvae was removed from the lesion in addition to first-instar larvae from the wool. A third-instar larva was also obtained from the same lesion site and in the laboratory gave origin to a Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel) adult insect. The larvae retrieved from the lesion were nurtured in laboratory. Pairs consisting of 100 individuals were formed with the adult specimens obtained from the larvae and kept in two cages. In all of the 800 adults reared in the laboratory and examined (100 per generation) the propisternal seta was absent in the spiracle on both sides...

Chrysomya albiceps, the larvae of which are facultative predators of larvae of other dipteran species, has been introduced to the Americas over recent years along with other Old World species of blowflies, including Chrysomya megacephala, Chrysomya putoria and Chlysomya rufifacies. An apparent correlate of this biological invasion has been a sudden decline in the population numbers of Cochliomyia macellaria, a native species of the Americas. In this study, we investigated predation rates on third instar larvae of C. macellaria, C. putoria and C. megacephala by third instar larvae of C. albiceps in no-choice, two-choice and three-choice situations. Most attacks by C. albiceps larvae occurred within the first hour of observation and the highest predation rate occurred on C. macellaria larvae, suggesting that C. albiceps was more dangerous to C. macellaria than to C. megacephala and C. putoria under these experimental conditions. The rates of larvae killed as a result of the predation, as well as its implications to population dynamics of introduced and native species are discussed.

One way to understand the behavioural patterns exhibited by a predator in response to prey density is to evaluate its functional response. Such evaluation yields information about basic mechanisms of prey-predator dynamics, and is an essential component of prey-predator models. In this paper we analysed experimentally the functional response and the handling time spent by Chrysomya albiceps on different prey species and larval instars of blowflies. The type II functional response was observed when second instar larvae of Chrysomya megacephala and Chrysomya macellaria were consumed. The handling time spent by the predator was significantly different between instars and species. The implications of the functional response and handling time for the interaction dynamics of Brazilian Chrysomyinae species are discussed.

Larvae of Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann) and Chrysomya putoria (Wiedemann) were reared on liver tissues from a rabbit that had a malignant tumor in the thoracic cavity. Larval rearing of both blowfly species was conducted at ambient temperature. Larvae that fed on tissues from the rabbit with the tumor developed at significantly faster rates than those feeding on tissues from the control animal.

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq); Pós-graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Zoologia) - IBRC; In their natural environment, many invertebrates and vertebrates use discrete and ephemeral substrates for feeding and laying their eggs or larvae, and among them, could be cited the blowfly Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Calliphoridae). Accidentally introduced in the Americas in the mid -1970s, C. albiceps has caused the population decline in native species as Lucilia eximia and Cochliomyia macellaria. For blowflies, the larval stage is the main period in which competition for limited food resources occurs, with individuals competing intensely for resources in an attempt to ingest as much food as possible before the complete depletion of the resources. The result of this competition is seen on population parameters as survival, fecundity and size of the resulting adults, with direct effects on the population dynamics of the species involved. Therefore, the population density of immature in the food substrate becomes a primary factor in studies about population dynamics, because it influences directly the competition and hence the variation of these population parameters. In this study were analyzed aspects of the ecology of C. albiceps using experimental populations. The results of this study indicate that the initial larval density influences the demography and the viability and fecundity of populations of C. albiceps ; initial high density can improve the feeding process and reduce development time at the immature stage. The initial larval mortality has great influence on life expectancy at the time of adult emergence. 200 was optimal density for developing species. Adults from the densities 800 and 100 had low values for survival and life expectancy. Females were longer-lived than males (e0 higher for females)...

As moscas-varejeiras utilizam substratos discretos e efêmeros para posturas dos ovos e para alimentação das larvas. Após a exaustão de recursos, as larvas começam a procurar por um sítio de pupação no habitat ou por mais fonte de alimento adicional (dispersão larval pós-alimentar). No entanto, o tipo de substrato de dispersão pode afetar este processo; assim, procurou-se avaliar o comportamento de dispersão de Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann 1819) por meio da localização das pupas em arenas circulares preenchidas com vermiculita, comparando-se com outros estudos feitos em serragem. As arenas foram dividas em 72 setores iguais a partir do centro de dispersão para facilitar a localização das pupas no substrato. A massa, a distância de dispersão do centro de arena, e a profundidade de cada pupa foram determinadas e verificou-se a relação entre peso, profundidade e distância do centro de dispersão. Pôde-se constatar que as larvas com menor massa foram as que percorreram maior distância do centro de dispersão, como também foi observado em estudos anteriores que empregaram outros substratos. O sítio de pupação da maioria dos indivíduos foi entre 2 e 8 cm de profundidade (média 4,96±2,97 cm). Tal estudo do processo de dispersão pode ser útil na estimativa do intervalo pós-morte (IPM) para corpos humanos em investigações médico-criminais.

Chrysomya albiceps specimens were derived from colonies kept under laboratory conditions. The oviposition period, total number of eggs-mass and the weight of the eggs-mass (average/female) presented significant differences between colonies regarding the sexual ratio of 1male/1female (situation I), when compared to the other ratios (1male/3female, situation II), (1male/5female, situation III), (3male/1female, situation IV) and (5 male/1female, situation V). It was ascertained that the increase in the proportion of females, resulted in higher weight and greater number of ovipositions and lenghtening of the period of oviposition, leads to a decrease in their lifespan.

Chrysomya albiceps specimens were obtained from colonies established with larvae and adults collected at the Federal Rural University in Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, State of Rio de Janeiro. The larval stage of C. albiceps was allowed to develop in climatic chambers at temperatures of 18, 22, 27 and 32ºC, and the pupal stage was allowed to develop at 22, 27 and 32ºC (60 ± 10% RH and 14 hr photoperiod). The duration and viability of the larval stage of C. albiceps at 18, 22, 27 and 32ºC were 21.30, 10.61, 5.0 and 4.0 days and 76.5, 88.5, 98.5 and 99.5%, respectively, with mean mature larval weights of 45.16, 81.86, 84.35 and 70.53 mg, respectively. Mean duration and viability of the pupal stage at 22, 27 and 32ºC were 9.36, 4.7 and 3.0 days and 93.8, 100 and 100%, respectively. The basal temperature for the larval and pupal stage and for the larval and adult phase were 15.04, 17.39 and 15.38ºC, corresponding to 65.67, 44.15 and 114.23 DD.

In order to study the morphology of young Chrysomya albiceps forms, newly hatched larvae were collected at 2 hr intervals, during the first 56 hr; after this time the collection was made at 12 hr intervals. For identification and drawing, larvae were placed between a slide and a coverslip. The cephalopharyngeal skeletons along with the first and last segments were cut off for observation of their structures and spiracles. The larvae present microspines, which are distributed randomly throughout the 12 segments of the body surface; the cephalopharyngeal skeleton varies in shape and extent of sclerotization according to larval instar; the second and third instars have relatively long processes (tubercles) on the dorsal, lateral and ventral surfaces, with microspine circles on the terminal portion

The sensitivity of parameters that govern the stability of population size in Chrysomya albiceps and describe its spatial dynamics was evaluated in this study. The dynamics was modeled using a density-dependent model of population growth. Our simulations show that variation in fecundity and mainly in survival has marked effect on the dynamics and indicates the possibility of transitions from one-point equilibrium to bounded oscillations. C. albiceps exhibits a two-point limit cycle, but the introduction of diffusive dispersal induces an evident qualitative shift from two-point limit cycle to a one fixed-point dynamics. Population dynamics of C. albiceps is here compared to dynamics of Cochliomyia macellaria, C. megacephala and C. putoria.

Chrysomya albiceps (Widemann) develops on animal carcasses and may cause secondary myiases. An adult female Merino sheep presented a lesion of roughly circular shape with a 7.5cm radius in the anterior part of the thorax. A large number of second-instar larvae was removed from the lesion in addition to first-instar larvae from the wool. A third-instar larva was also obtained from the same lesion site and in the laboratory gave origin to a Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel) adult insect. The larvae retrieved from the lesion were nurtured in laboratory. Pairs consisting of 100 individuals were formed with the adult specimens obtained from the larvae and kept in two cages. In all of the 800 adults reared in the laboratory and examined (100 per generation) the propisternal seta was absent in the spiracle on both sides, this trait was highly stable. The 200 larvae examined, 15 per generation, did not present spines in the column of the ventral process of the penultimate abdominal segment and the column of the ventral process was triangular and the apex of the column process presented numerous spines. These characteristics allowed identifying these specimens as C. albiceps. However, since C. albiceps has the ability to damage intact tissues...

In this study, the seasonal variation of fecundity, wing and tibia length were investigated in natural populations of Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann, 1819) in an attempt to determine the changes in life history of the species as a function of seasonality. A relative constant temporal trajectory was found for fecundity, wing and tibia length over twenty-four months. Positive correlations between fecundity and wing size, fecundity and tibia size and wing and tibia sizes were observed. The implications of these results for population dynamics of C. albiceps are discussed.

Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae var. anisopliae e Metarhizium flavoviride var. flavoviride são fungos entomopatogênicos com ação comprovada contra várias espécies, embora não tenham sido testados em Chrysomya albiceps, um díptero de importância na saúde pública. Assim, objetivou-se avaliar a ação de B. bassiana, M. anisopliae var. anisopliae e M. flavoviride var. flavoviride em ovos, larvas e adultos de C. albiceps, utilizando as concentrações 104, 105, 106, 107, 108 conídios.mL-1, considerando o percentual de eclosão de larvas, período de pré-pupa, pupa, percentual de emergência de adultos, ritmo de emergência, morte acumulativa, longevidade, período de postura e percentual de eclosão a partir de fêmeas infectadas. O comportamento dos fungos reisolados também foi avaliado através dos parâmetros biológicos: percentual de germinação, número de conídios, número e diâmetro de colônias, bem como a citologia no que se refere à descrição das estruturas vegetativas e reprodutivas. De acordo com a metodologia empregada, verificou-se que os três fungos apresentaram ação contra ovos, larvas e adultos de C. albiceps. Já em relação ao comportamento, foi observado que os fungos reisolados de larva apresentaram o melhor desempenho em relação ao controle e os aspectos citológicos não diferiram quando comparados ao controle. Esses resultados sugerem a possibilidade do emprego desses fungos no controle de C. albiceps

Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae var. anisopliae e Metarhizium flavoviride var. flavoviride são fungos entomopatogênicos com ação comprovada contra várias espécies, embora não tenham sido testados em Chrysomya albiceps, um díptero de importância na saúde pública. Assim, objetivou-se avaliar a ação de B. bassiana, M. anisopliae var. anisopliae e M. flavoviride var. flavoviride em ovos, larvas e adultos de C. albiceps, utilizando as concentrações 104, 105, 106, 107, 108 conídios.mL-1, considerando o percentual de eclosão de larvas, período de pré-pupa, pupa, percentual de emergência de adultos, ritmo de emergência, morte acumulativa, longevidade, período de postura e percentual de eclosão a partir de fêmeas infectadas. O comportamento dos fungos reisolados também foi avaliado através dos parâmetros biológicos: percentual de germinação, número de conídios, número e diâmetro de colônias, bem como a citologia no que se refere à descrição das estruturas vegetativas e reprodutivas. De acordo com a metodologia empregada, verificou-se que os três fungos apresentaram ação contra ovos, larvas e adultos de C. albiceps. Já em relação ao comportamento, foi observado que os fungos reisolados de larva apresentaram o melhor desempenho em relação ao controle e os aspectos citológicos não diferiram quando comparados ao controle. Esses resultados sugerem a possibilidade do emprego desses fungos no controle de C. albiceps

Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) es una mosca hemisinantrópica ampliamente distribuida en América Latina. Es probable que esta especie de mosca sea la más importante para la entomología forense en casuística humana y veterinaria. Hasta la fecha, no hay evidencia de la presencia de esta especie en Chile. En esta investigación se analizó la evidencia entomológica recogida de 60 cadáveres humanos encontrados por Carabineros de Chile (Labocar) desde el año 2006 hasta el 2011 desde Antofagasta (23º36' 40'' S, 70º23' 31'' W) a Punta Arenas (53º10' 00'' S, 70º56' 00'' W). Se encontraron larvas de C. albiceps en cinco casos. Para ofrecer la evidencia experimental de la presencia de C. albiceps en Chile y para generar una tabla con su ciclo de vida, se analizó la sucesión de insectos en cadáveres de cerdo en descomposición durante el verano en la zona central de Chile (35°39' 46,8"S, 71°43' 14,85'' O). El tiempo de desarrollo de la mosca de huevo a imago fue de 12 días. El 10% de las larvas más grandes de cada muestra se midió para desarrollar una tabla que podrá ser utilizada en análisis entomológico forense en Chile. Este es el primer reporte de la presencia de C. albiceps en Chile en casos forenses y se muestra la primera tabla con el ciclo de esta especie en cadáveres de cerdo que puede ser utilizado en el análisis entomológico forense humano y veterinario.; Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) is a hemisynanthropic fly widely distributed in Latin America. This organism is probably the most important fly species for forensic entomology in human and veterinary casuistic. Until now...