Simulating Developmental Time of Preadult Face Flies (Diptera: Muscidae) from Air Temperature Records1

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Cohorts of face fly, Musca autumnalis DeGeer, were reared in constant-temperature environments. Within a temperature range of 13.8 to 34.7°C, developmental times from egg to adult ranged from 7.8 to 46.1 days, and combined prepupal stages averaged 30.5% of the total. Mean developmental rate (inverse of days) was accurately described by a curvilinear function of temperature. A rate summation model was derived which accurately predicted the temporal distribution of emerging adults from additional cohorts of flies reared in growth chambers with fluctuating temperatures and also in the field. Comparisons of summed developmental rates by using air and cowpat temperatures recorded concurrently in the field indicated that linear corrections of daily minimum and maximum air temperatures were necessary to simulate accurately developmental times of the dung- and soil-inhabiting stages of face fly.

This publication has 5 references indexed in Scilit: