Characterization of intrapuparial development of Musca domestica (Diptera: Muscidae), under different temperatures in laboratory conditions

Musca domestica (Linnaeus, 1758) (Diptera: Muscidae), popularly known as "housefly", is a highly synanthropic species, with economic, medical-sanitary, veterinary, and forensic importance. It is able to cause damage to health, transmit pathogenic agents, cause infection in domestic animals, and, in its immature stage, cause secondary myiasis. The scavenging habit of its immature stages makes these flies pioneers in colonizing both human and animal carcasses, from the initial stages of corpse decomposition to the final stages. Intrapuparial development studies of all stages of the biological cycle of these insects help estimate pupal age, being useful to forensic entomology to aid in determining the minimum postmortem interval (minPMI). This study describes, morphologically, the external structures of the pupae, under temperatures of 23, 27, and 30 +/- 1 degrees C aiming to identify the characteristics that define their developmental stages and estimation of the pupae age of M. domestica. The whole experiment was carried out under laboratory conditions, with relative humidity 60 +/- 10% and 12 hours of photoperiod. The process of pupariation and pupation including pre-pupae phases were observed; larvae pupae apolysis; early cryptocephalic pupae; late cryptocephalic pupae; phanerocephalic pupae; pharate adult, discriminated by eye color (transparent eyes, pink eyes, and red eyes); and the emergency of adults, which occurred in the intervals of 162-180; 138-144, and 96-102 hr, respectively, being described throughout the metamorphosis of the external morphological characteristics of the pupal stage of M. domestica. Musca domestica (Linnaeus, 1758) (Diptera: Muscidae), conhecida popularmente como "mosca domestica", e uma especie altamente sinantropica, com importancia economica, medica-sanitaria, veterinaria e forense, podendo causar danos a saude, ao veicular e transmitir agentes patogenicos, ser espoliadora dos animais domesticos e, em seu estagio imaturo, causar miiase secundaria. Seu habito necrofago na fase imatura faz dela uma especie pioneira na colonizacao de carcacas tanto de humanos quanto de animais, desde os estagios iniciais de decomposicao cadaverica ate os estagios finais. O estudo de seu desenvolvimento intrapuparial, permite conhecer todos os estagios do ciclo biologico destes insetos, de modo a auxiliar a entomologia forense no Intervalo Pos-Morte Minimo (IPMmin). Esse estudo objetivou, descrever morfologicamente, as estruturas externas das pupas, visando a identificacao das caracteristicas que definem as fases de seu desenvolvimento e estimativa da idade pupal de M. domestica, sob as temperaturas de 23, 27 e 30 +/- 1 degrees C. Todo o experimento foi realizado em condicoes de laboratorio, com umidade relativa de 60 +/- 10% e 12 horas de fotoperiodo. Foram observados o processo de pupariacao e pupacao com as fases pre-pupa; apolise larva-pupa; pupa criptocefalica anterior; pupa criptocefalica posterior; pupa fanerocefalica; adulto farado, (olhos transparentes, olhos rosados e olhos vermelhos); e emergencia do adulto, que ocorreu nos intervalos de 162-180 h; 138-144 h e 96-102 h, respectivamente e sendo descritas durante toda a metamorfose das caracteristicas morfologicas externas do estagio de pupa de M. domestica.