A preliminary evaluation on bivariate allometry in active-feeding Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius, 1794) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) larvae
The potential use of larval cephalopharyngeal skeleton as an alternative growth indicator in forensic entomology practice was assessed based on its developmental pattern, growth performance, and allometric relationship with the larval body. Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius, 1794), was used as an e...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
2022
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| Online Access: | http://journalarticle.ukm.my/19510/1/5%2B-%2BBIVARIATE%2BALLOMETRY%2BIN%2BChrysomya%2Bmegacephala.pdf http://journalarticle.ukm.my/19510/ https://jms.mabjournal.com/index.php/mab/issue/view/44 |
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| Institution: | Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia |
| Language: | English |
| Summary: | The potential use of larval cephalopharyngeal skeleton as an alternative growth indicator in forensic entomology practice was
assessed based on its developmental pattern, growth performance, and allometric relationship with the larval body. Chrysomya
megacephala (Fabricius, 1794), was used as an experimental species and larval development was studied at ambient temperatures
and relative humidity. Larval body size was measured from the furthest part of the head to the last abdominal segment. The
cephalopharyngeal skeleton was extracted from the body and measured from the tip of the dorsal bridge to the left face of the
dorsal cornu. Daily progression of larval body length and cephalopharyngeal skeleton length showed the latter significantly
had slower growth rates. The allometry of the larval body and cephalopharyngeal skeleton showed they were correlated only
because both variables increased across the three larval instars, suggesting a spurious correlation. Separate bivariate correlations
between the two variables showed only the first instar larvae had a significant (p<0.01) but weak correlation, r=0.33. However,
removing the effect of larval instars still produced a statistically significant correlation (p<0.001) albeit with moderate strength,
r=0.57. From this study, there was not enough evidence to support the cephalopharyngeal skeleton as an equal or a better
alternative to the larval body as a growth indicator. |
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