Anoxia Tolerance in Four Forensically Important Calliphorid Species
Forensically important blow flies, Diptera: Calliphoridae, are among the first organisms to colonize carrion. After eggs hatch, the larvae of most blow fly species feed in an aggregation or “mass”. While in this mass larvae may experience periods of hypoxia/anoxia, but the tolerance of blow fly larv...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Forensic Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-6756/3/1/1 |
| _version_ | 1827977958616203264 |
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| author | Melissa Lein Authement Leon G. Higley William Wyatt Hoback |
| author_facet | Melissa Lein Authement Leon G. Higley William Wyatt Hoback |
| author_sort | Melissa Lein Authement |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Forensically important blow flies, Diptera: Calliphoridae, are among the first organisms to colonize carrion. After eggs hatch, the larvae of most blow fly species feed in an aggregation or “mass”. While in this mass larvae may experience periods of hypoxia/anoxia, but the tolerance of blow fly larvae to anoxic conditions is poorly studied. We tested the anoxia tolerance of four species of calliphorids (<i>Calliphora vicina, Cochliomyia macellaria, Lucilia sericata,</i> and <i>Phormia regina</i>), by examining actively feeding third-stage larvae across five temperatures. Experiments were conducted by exposing larvae to pure nitrogen environments and determining mortality at set time intervals. All species show significant linear relationships between survival time and temperature under anoxic conditions. Of species tested, <i>C. macellaria</i> had the greatest tolerance to anoxia (LT<sub>50</sub> of 9 h at 20 °C). In contrast, <i>C. vicina</i> was the least tolerant (LT<sub>50</sub> of 2.2 h at 40 °C). With all species, survivorship decreased with increasing temperature. Unlike many other insects tested in severe hypoxia, the larvae of the calliphorids tested, which included members of three subfamilies, were not tolerant of anoxic conditions. From these findings, it seems likely that hypoxia is a significant limitation for maggots in a maggot mass, particularly when the mass temperature is high (>40 °C). Forensically, these data provide a limit on potential maggot survival on bodies that have been submerged or otherwise experience severe hypoxia before discovery. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T21:13:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-95c9ffdf70394ee5a2e670890f4f89f5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2673-6756 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T21:13:12Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Forensic Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-95c9ffdf70394ee5a2e670890f4f89f52023-03-28T13:38:18ZengMDPI AGForensic Sciences2673-67562022-12-013111110.3390/forensicsci3010001Anoxia Tolerance in Four Forensically Important Calliphorid SpeciesMelissa Lein Authement0Leon G. Higley1William Wyatt Hoback2School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USASchool of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA127 NRC, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USAForensically important blow flies, Diptera: Calliphoridae, are among the first organisms to colonize carrion. After eggs hatch, the larvae of most blow fly species feed in an aggregation or “mass”. While in this mass larvae may experience periods of hypoxia/anoxia, but the tolerance of blow fly larvae to anoxic conditions is poorly studied. We tested the anoxia tolerance of four species of calliphorids (<i>Calliphora vicina, Cochliomyia macellaria, Lucilia sericata,</i> and <i>Phormia regina</i>), by examining actively feeding third-stage larvae across five temperatures. Experiments were conducted by exposing larvae to pure nitrogen environments and determining mortality at set time intervals. All species show significant linear relationships between survival time and temperature under anoxic conditions. Of species tested, <i>C. macellaria</i> had the greatest tolerance to anoxia (LT<sub>50</sub> of 9 h at 20 °C). In contrast, <i>C. vicina</i> was the least tolerant (LT<sub>50</sub> of 2.2 h at 40 °C). With all species, survivorship decreased with increasing temperature. Unlike many other insects tested in severe hypoxia, the larvae of the calliphorids tested, which included members of three subfamilies, were not tolerant of anoxic conditions. From these findings, it seems likely that hypoxia is a significant limitation for maggots in a maggot mass, particularly when the mass temperature is high (>40 °C). Forensically, these data provide a limit on potential maggot survival on bodies that have been submerged or otherwise experience severe hypoxia before discovery.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-6756/3/1/1hypoxia 1submergence 2maggot mass 3oxygen limitation 4 |
| spellingShingle | Melissa Lein Authement Leon G. Higley William Wyatt Hoback Anoxia Tolerance in Four Forensically Important Calliphorid Species Forensic Sciences hypoxia 1 submergence 2 maggot mass 3 oxygen limitation 4 |
| title | Anoxia Tolerance in Four Forensically Important Calliphorid Species |
| title_full | Anoxia Tolerance in Four Forensically Important Calliphorid Species |
| title_fullStr | Anoxia Tolerance in Four Forensically Important Calliphorid Species |
| title_full_unstemmed | Anoxia Tolerance in Four Forensically Important Calliphorid Species |
| title_short | Anoxia Tolerance in Four Forensically Important Calliphorid Species |
| title_sort | anoxia tolerance in four forensically important calliphorid species |
| topic | hypoxia 1 submergence 2 maggot mass 3 oxygen limitation 4 |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-6756/3/1/1 |
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