Temperature adaptation in Chrysomya megacephala and Chrysomya pinguis, two blow fly species of forensic significance
Journal
Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata
Journal Volume
152
Journal Issue
2
Pages
100-107
Date Issued
2014
Author(s)
Yang, S.-T.
Abstract
Abstract C hrysomya megacephala ( F abricius) ( D iptera: C alliphoridae) is a common and forensically important blow fly species in the Oriental region. However, in the higher mountain regions and on winter days, its habitats are occupied by a closely related species, C hrysomya pinguis ( W alker). The resources that the two species employ to survive are very similar and competition between the species may be one of the factors that trigger differentiation of their behaviors. We conducted experiments to examine how these two closely related species may have adapted to different temperature regimes to avoid competition. Several adult and immature parameters were assessed, such as fecundity, locomotor ability, hatching ratio, larval survivorship, and eclosion ratio. Results indicate that species show specific diapause at high temperature (38 °C), larval survivorship of C h . megacephala was significantly better than that of C h . pinguis . Conversely, at low temperature (15 °C), adult locomotor ability was better for C h. pinguis than for C h . megacephala . The results indicate that the two species may have evolved different temperature adaptation strategies to avoid competition. In mixed‐species larval rearing experiments, competition between C h . pinguis and C h . megacephala was observed: at higher temperature (30 °C), the immature performance index of C h . megacephala was significantly increased when compared to that in single‐species culture, whereas the index of C h . pinguis was decreased. These data are consistent with the idea that tolerance for higher temperature conditions would allow larvae of C h . megacephala to gain a competitive advantage over C h . pinguis in certain habitats. These results may help to explain their current distribution in the environment and provide more biological information on these forensically important species.
SDGs
Type
journal article