Megaselia scalaris is a cosmopolitan phorid fly with larvae that feed on a high diversity of decaying organic material, making this species a facultative predator, parasite, and parasitoid in invertebrate labora Specifically, one of the flies in the genus Megaselia. They ... the larvae at the moment of pupation will determine the size of both the pupae and of the adult. Abstract Each of the paired salivary glands of third instar larvae of the humpbacked fly Megaselia scalaris is a bag‐like structure with a short neck region from which a single duct emerges. Megaselia scalaris is pretty good at colonizing things pretty fast, within minutes of death, so some entomologists have confused it for a parasitoid. The name "scuttle fly" derives from the jerky, short bursts of running, characteristic to the adult fly. Two terms define the size of the larvae before metamorphosis: the critical Using DNA barcoding, we identified the parasitoid as the phorid Megaselia scalaris. Megaselia scalaris (Diptera: Phoridae) taken from a specimen of Brachypelma vagans (Araneae: Theraphosidae). Larvae excreted in the patient’s urine were confirmed by morphological identification key and DNA barcoding to belong to the species Megaselia scalaris Loew, which is known as the scuttle fly. If I were forced to guess, I would guess these are phorid fly larvae. The scuttle fly, Megaselia scalaris Loew (Diptera: Phoridae), is known to breed in a wide range of decaying organic matter, and is often observed near dirty floor drains and mausoleums (Disney 2008).Widely considered a pest of annoyance, M. scalaris is also associated with facultative myiasis, an invasion of vertebrate tissue by larvae (Day et al. However, it needs the host to be dead before it starts feeding. In addition to caus-ing myiasis in humans (Trape et al. Consequently, the species features in a range of situations that affect the resources or well-being of humans. The fly Megaselia scalaris (laboratory fly) is a member of the order Diptera and the family Phoridae, and it is widely distributed in warm regions of the world.The family members are commonly known as the "humpbacked fly", the "coffin fly", and the "scuttle fly". Key words: Megaselia scalaris - ultrastructure - third-instar - scanning electron microscopy - forensic entomology Megaselia scalaris (Loew), humpbacked fly, is an in-sect of medical importance worldwide. Flies are attracted to putrid odors and lay eggs on decaying organic matter. Megaselia scalaris (Loew, 1866) (Diptera, phoridae) is a cosmopolitan fly species used in forensic science, and has been developed as a laboratory model species. Megaselia scalaris has adapted to polyphagous life style, feeding and breeding in wider spectrum of plant and animal matter (Karunaweera et al., 2002; Costa et al., 2007; Disney, 2008). The larva (maggot) undergoes two molts leading to three larval stages. Megaselia scalaris diets influence the development of larvae and pupae both in terms of developmental time and size, as well as adult emergence and longevity (Idris, Abdullah & Lin, 2001; Harrison & Cooper, 2003; Zuha et al., 2012). With more than 500 fly larvae inside the host, this particular infestation can be considered severe. The larvae of Megaselia scalaris (Diptera: Phoridae) exploit a broad spectrum of larval pabula. DNA extraction from larval gut content of Megaselia scalaris larvae (non-conventional source), can be used for victim identification. 2004, Hall and Gerhardt 2009). 1988, Singh & Rana 1989), it has also been reported as a foren- Furthermore, M. scalaris is readily cultured in the laboratory and is therefore favored as an experimental species for genetic, developmental, and bioassay studies. 1982, Singh et al. The size range of the larvae indicates infestation by all three larval instars. 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