Calliphora vicina larvae grow at different rates on different body tissues

Int J Legal Med. 2004 Aug;118(4):242-4. doi: 10.1007/s00414-004-0444-5. Epub 2004 Apr 24.

Abstract

Compared with the rate on pig's liver, larval growth of the blowfly, Calliphora vicina is significantly faster by as much as 2 days on lung, kidney, heart or brain tissue. Potentially this has major implications when laboratory growth rates of larvae fed on one food substrate (often liver) are used to calculate the amount of development, and therefore the postmortem interval in a forensic case.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Brain
  • Cadaver*
  • Diptera / growth & development*
  • Feeding Behavior
  • Forensic Medicine*
  • Heart
  • Kidney
  • Larva / growth & development
  • Liver
  • Lung
  • Swine