Showing papers on "Lucilia cuprina published in 2016"

Phylogenetic radiation of the greenbottle flies (Diptera, Calliphoridae, Luciliinae).

Abstract: The subfamily Luciliinae is diverse and geographically widespread. Its four currently recognised genera (Dyscritomyia Grimshaw, 1901, Hemipyrellia Townsend, 1918, Hypopygiopsis Townsend 1916 and Lucilia Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830) contain species that range from saprophages to obligate parasites, but their pattern of phylogenetic diversification is unclear. The 28S rRNA, COI and Period genes of 14 species of Lucilia and Hemipyrellia were partially sequenced and analysed together with sequences of 11 further species from public databases. The molecular data confirmed molecular paraphyly in three species-pairs in Lucilia that hamper barcode identifications of those six species. Lucilia sericata and Lucilia cuprina were confirmed as mutual sister species. The placements of Dyscritomyia and Hypopygiopsis were ambiguous, since both made Lucilia paraphyletic in some analyses. Recognising Hemipyrellia as a genus consistently left Lucilia s.l. paraphyletic, and the occasionally-recognised (sub)genus Phaenicia was consistently paraphyletic, so these taxa should be synonymised with Lucilia to maintain monophyly. Analysis of a matrix of 14 morphological characters scored for adults of all genera and for most of the species included in the molecular analysis confirmed several of these findings. The different degrees of parasitism were phylogenetically clustered within this genus but did not form a graded series of evolutionary stages, and there was no particular relationship between feeding habits and biogeography. Because of the ubiquity of hybridization, introgression and incomplete lineage sorting in blow flies, we recommend that using a combination of mitochondrial and nuclear markers should be a procedural standard for medico-criminal forensic identifications of insects.

Molecular basis of the remarkable species selectivity of an insecticidal sodium channel toxin from the African spider Augacephalus ezendami

Abstract: The inexorable decline in the armament of registered chemical insecticides has stimulated research into environmentally-friendly alternatives. Insecticidal spider-venom peptides are promising candidates for bioinsecticide development but it is challenging to find peptides that are specific for targeted pests. In the present study, we isolated an insecticidal peptide (Ae1a) from venom of the African spider Augacephalus ezendami (family Theraphosidae). Injection of Ae1a into sheep blowflies (Lucilia cuprina) induced rapid but reversible paralysis. In striking contrast, Ae1a was lethal to closely related fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) but induced no adverse effects in the recalcitrant lepidopteran pest Helicoverpa armigera. Electrophysiological experiments revealed that Ae1a potently inhibits the voltage-gated sodium channel BgNaV1 from the German cockroach Blattella germanica by shifting the threshold for channel activation to more depolarized potentials. In contrast, Ae1a failed to significantly affect sodium currents in dorsal unpaired median neurons from the American cockroach Periplaneta americana. We show that Ae1a interacts with the domain II voltage sensor and that sensitivity to the toxin is conferred by natural sequence variations in the S1–S2 loop of domain II. The phyletic specificity of Ae1a provides crucial information for development of sodium channel insecticides that target key insect pests without harming beneficial species.

Intra-puparial development of the Cochliomyia macellaria and Lucilia cuprina (Diptera, Calliphoridae)

Abstract: The intra-puparial development of the blowflies Cochliomyia macellaria (n = 310) and Lucilia cuprina (n = 470), was studied under controlled conditions in laboratory. The 3rd instar larvae were reared until they stopped feeding, and the pre-pupae were separated according to the size in larval length and degree of pigmentation and of the cuticle. We observe a set of five continuous events or phases: (1) pupariation, (2) larva-pupa apolysis, (3) cryptocephalic pupa, (4) phanerocephalic pupa and (5) pharate adult. The total time of the intra-puparial development, larva-pupa apolysis to pharate adult, lasted for 120 h (5 days) to C. macellaria and 210 h (8.75 days) to L. cuprina.

Effect of Different Constant Temperature on the Life Cycle of a Fly of Forensic Importance Lucilia cuprina

Abstract: Lucilia cuprina is one of the forensically important Calliphoridae fly. L. cuprina is a helpful resource at the crime scenes as well as a nuisance to sheep. It is known to be one of the first flies to occupy a corpse upon its death. Due to this, it has great importance in forensic field to find out post-mortem interval. In this study, the development of L. cuprina is studied in an incubator at different constant temperatures. Larvae of the L. cuprina were reared in an incubator at 20°C, 25°C, 30°C, 35°C, and 40°C. During study the developmental data, temperature and relative humidity of the rearing room as well as weight, length of the larvae were recorded from the time the larvae were collected until the adult flies emerge out. Results obtained show that development of the L. cuprina was slow at lower temperature. At the high temperature, developmental rate was fast. At low temperature L. cuprina attained greatest body weight whereas at high temperature there was a decrease in the weight. When flies were reared at 40°C the development of the fly was much more rapid but slight mortality was observed. Above study shows that temperature plays a very important role in the development of L. cuprina. For the correct estimation of post-mortem interval this study is very useful, because each dipteran fly has its own developmental period with respect to temperature and region.

The Food Preferences of the Blow Fly Lucilia cuprina Offered Human Blood, Semen and Saliva, and Various Nonhuman Foods Sources.

Abstract: As human DNA profiles can be obtained from blow fly artifacts, this study aimed to establish the feeding preferences of Lucilia cuprina (Wiedemann) blow flies when offered human biological fluids and nonhuman food sources. One-day-old and 3-day-old blow flies of both sexes were simultaneously offered human blood, semen and saliva, pet food, canned tuna and honey, and the number and length of visits documented over 6 h. One-day-old flies visited pet food and honey most often, but stayed longest on honey and semen. Three-day-old flies visited semen and pet food most often, and stayed longest on these food sources. Blood and saliva were the least preferred options for all flies. Overall, flies preferred dry blood and semen to the wet forms. These findings demonstrate that even when other food sources are available, flies at a crime scene may feed on human biological fluids if present, potentially transferring human DNA.

Cloning & sequence identification of Hsp27 gene and expression analysis of the protein on thermal stress in Lucilia cuprina.

Abstract: Hsp27, a highly conserved small molecular weight heat shock protein, is widely known to be developmentally regulated and heat inducible. Its role in thermotolerance is also implicated. This study is a sequel of our earlier studies to understand the molecular organization of heat shock genes/proteins and their role in development and thermal adaptation in a sheep pest, Lucilia cuprina (blowfly), which exhibits unusually high adaptability to a variety of environmental stresses, including heat and chemicals. In this report our aim was to understand the evolutionary relationship of Lucilia hsp27 gene/protein with those of other species and its role in thermal adaptation. We sequence characterized the Lchsp27 gene (coding region) and analyzed its expression in various larval and adult tissues under normal as well as heat shock conditions. The nucleotide sequence analysis of 678 bps long-coding region of Lchsp27 exhibited closest evolutionary proximity with Drosophila (90.09%), which belongs to the same order, Diptera. Heat shock caused significant enhancement in the expression of Lchsp27 gene in all the larval and adult tissues examined, however, in a tissue specific manner. Significantly, in Malpighian tubules, while the heat-induced level of hsp27 transcript (mRNA) appeared increased as compared to control, the protein level remained unaltered and nuclear localized. We infer that Lchsp27 may have significant role in the maintenance of cellular homeostasis, particularly, during summer months, when the fly remains exposed to high heat in its natural habitat.

An acetone extract of Clausena anisata may be a potential control agent for flies encountered in cutaneous myiasis.

Abstract: Clausena anisata is a medicinal plant used traditionally to treat myiasis and as an insect repellent by various communities. We have previously demonstrated the effects of C. anisata extracts on blowfly feeding and development in our laboratory. The impact of C. anisata leaf extracts on populations of different fly species on farms in Mpumalanga, South Africa was investigated in this study under field conditions. Flies were exposed to liver baits treated with acetone leaf extracts of C. anisata (150 mg/mL). Fly numbers and composition on two farms, with and without C. anisata treated liver, were compared during a period of 12 weeks when fly populations were expected to be high. Observations were made on fly behaviour and development, adult sizes and numbers. The flies exposed to liver treated with the leaf extract of C. anisata had a decreased rate of development, prolonged larval period, smaller body sizes and more sluggish behaviour compared to those subjected to the control treatment. No significant differences were, however, found between the numbers and sizes of flies on the treated and on the control farm, which was most likely due to the limited nature of the baiting programme we followed. The effects of C. anisata extracts on blowfly behaviour and development observed in previous laboratory studies were confirmed in this field evaluation. Although the extracts did not have a significant effect on the overall population size in this experiment, we believe that the C. anisata leaf extract could be useful in integrated pest management based on its effect on larval development. In addition, species such as Lucilia cuprina and Chrysomya marginalis seemed to have been repelled by the C. anisata treated liver; as a result, further work should explore this aspect and how it can be used for the protection of animals.

Occurrence of synanthropic flies in Tasek Bera Ramsar Site, Pahang

Abstract: A study of the occurrence and species distribution of synanthropic flies species at Tasek Bera Ramsar Site was carried out during the Biodiversity Inventory Program from 10th to 12th May 2014 and 14th to 16th August 2014. A total of 716 synanthropic flies were collected and grouped according to their morphological characteristics. Molecular identification with partial mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene sequences confirmed the identity of the flies, namely Chrysomya megacephala, Chrysomya rufifacies, Hemipyrellia ligurriens, Hypopygiopsis infumata, Lucilia cuprina, Atherigona orientalis, and Sarcophaga dux and one unidentified fly. These flies belong to three main families of synanthropic flies (Sarcophagidae, Calliphoridae and Muscidae) and they are important in forensic studies and veterinary entomology. The most abundant family was Calliphoridae (73.2%), followed by Muscidae (21.1%) and Sarcophagidae (5.7%). The highest number of species and individuals captured came from the family Calliphoridae with Chrysomya megacephala as the most prevalent species at 52.7 %.

Developmental variation of two different variety of Indian blow flies: Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius, 1794) and Lucilia cuprina (Wiedemann, 1830) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) on dead Gallus gallus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Abstract: The blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) are among the most important flies for forensic dipterology. Thus, their immature stages are generally used for estimation of PMI and allied estimations. Therefore a study was conducted to investigate the effect of different seasonal variation on development in Gallus gallus Caracas, to analyze the seasonal variation of growth of two Indian blow flies for three seasons. Results for Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius, 1794) and Lucilia cuprina (Wiedemann, 1830) showed that there was a significant variation in avg. length, and calculated biomass, width was insignificant among the three seasons of immature stages as [F (2, 33) = 3.440649166, p = 0.043932584], [F (2, 33) = 12.62242037, p = 0.00000849], and [F (2, 33) = 6.044256, p=0.0058] and as [F (2, 33) = 3.583334, p = 0.039057], [F (2, 33) = 5.825099, p= 0.006814] and [F (2, 33) = 1.094117, p = 0.346674] respectively.

Toleration of Lucilia cuprina (Diptera: Calliphoridae) Eggs to Agitation Within Insect Saline

Abstract: Microorganisms have an ability to attach themselves to surfaces, where they then multiply and form a protective biofilm, which protects the microorganisms from outside influences, including chemicals for sanitation. This makes the cleaning of fly eggs for maggot therapy difficult. The purpose of this study was to test the toleration of Lucilia cuprina (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Calliphoridae)eggs for agitation, which is used to degrade biofilms. Lucilia cuprina eggs were washed with insect saline and treated by undergoing five minutes of agitation. It was found that there was a significant difference between the control group, which did not undergo any agitation, and the treatment group, which did. This knowledge is useful for further testing of the extent to which agitation impacts survivability of the eggs and the debridement of the biofilm.

Escherichia coli Challenging Modulate the Humoral Immune Response of Lucilia cuprina(Diptera: Calliphoridae)

Abstract: Antimicrobial compounds are recently emerging as anti-infectious agents that can be applied topically or systemically to speed up wound healing process. Maggot debridement therapy has become more prevalent in the treatment of chronic wound. This study focuses on studying the activity of commonly used natural compounds, which can be extracted from the whole and fat bodies of Lucilia cuprina. The current report was designed to investigate the effect of injecting bacterial suspension of Escherichia coli during the development of Lucilia cuprina at different time points. Measurements involved the assay of (a) total protease activities, (b) semi-quantitative RT-PCR for selected antimicrobial peptides genes expressions and (c) antioxidant capacity measurement as part of normal responding elements to humoral innate immunity (represented by lipid peroxide (Malondialdehyde) and glutathione reduced levels). Total lipid content in immature stages was also assessed. The results revealed an increase in total proteases activities and antioxidant capacities (low Malondialdehyde and high reduced glutathione levels) during the 3rd instar larvae and pupal phases after bacterial challenge. Detection of an increased mRNA expression levels in the fat body for lysozyme, cecropin, and attacin genes after bacterial-infection indicate high antibacterial activity in early pupae at 1h after infection. In conclusion, our findings may draw attention proposing that naturally extracted compounds from the whole and fat body of Lucilia cuprina, which are rich in proteolytic enzymes, as novel larval-based therapy in parallel to the traditional known ones. Further studies are required to illustrate the exact components of the extracts.