How to translate text using browser tools
22 August 2016 Volume of Larvae Is the Most Important Single Predictor of Mass Temperatures in the Forensically Important Calliphorid, Chrysomya megacephala (Diptera: Calliphoridae)
S. V. Gruner, D. H. Slone, J. L. Capinera, M. P. Turco
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

Calliphorid species form larval aggregations that are capable of generating heat above ambient temperature. We wanted to determine the relationship between volume, number of larvae, and different combinations of instars on larval mass heat generation. We compared different numbers of Chrysomya megacephala (F.) larvae (40, 100, 250, 600, and 2,000), and different combinations of instars (∼50/50 first and second instars, 100% second instars, ∼50/50 second and third instars, and 100% third instars) at two different ambient temperatures (20 and 30 °C). We compared 13 candidate multiple regression models that were fitted to the data; the models were then scored and ranked with Akaike information criterion and Bayesian information criterion. The results indicate that although instar, age, treatment temperature, elapsed time, and number of larvae in a mass were significant, larval volume was the best predictor of larval mass temperatures. The volume of a larval mass may need to be taken into consideration for determination of a postmortem interval.

© The Authors 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com
S. V. Gruner, D. H. Slone, J. L. Capinera, and M. P. Turco "Volume of Larvae Is the Most Important Single Predictor of Mass Temperatures in the Forensically Important Calliphorid, Chrysomya megacephala (Diptera: Calliphoridae)," Journal of Medical Entomology 54(1), 30-34, (22 August 2016). https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjw139
Received: 21 April 2016; Accepted: 8 August 2016; Published: 22 August 2016
JOURNAL ARTICLE
5 PAGES

This article is only available to subscribers.
It is not available for individual sale.
+ SAVE TO MY LIBRARY

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS
Get copyright permission
Back to Top