Exploring Life History Choices: Using Temperature and Substrate Type as Interacting Factors for Blowfly Larval and Female Preferences.

Blowflies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) present a wide range of larval lifestyles, typically classified as obligate parasitism, facultative parasitism, and complete sapro-necrophagy. Several parasitic species, both obligate and facultative, are considered to be of sanitary and economic importance, as their larvae can cause myiasis (maggot infestation in live tissue). However, it is noteworthy that the adult female plays a decisive role as she chooses the oviposition site, and, therefore, largely determines the feeding habit and developmental conditions of the larvae.

Molecular basis of resistance to organophosphate insecticides in the New World screw-worm fly.

Background: The emergence of insecticide resistance is a fast-paced example of the evolutionary process of natural selection. In this study, we investigated the molecular basis of resistance in the myiasis-causing fly Cochliomyia hominivorax (Diptera: Calliphoridae) to dimethyl-organophosphate (OP) insecticides.

Methods: By sequencing the RNA from surviving larvae treated with dimethyl-OP (resistant condition) and non-treated larvae (control condition), we identified genes displaying condition-specific polymorphisms, as well as those differentially expressed.