The relationship between larval and adult size of the Australian sheep blowfly Lucilia Cuprina (Wied.)

Abstract

Quantitative formulations are derived for the relationships between the adequacy of larval food, the weight of puparia, the length of thorax of adult flies, the number of ovarioles in adults, and the size and weight of eggs produced by adults of Lucilia cuprina (Wied.). Smaller adults grown from starved larvae lay fewer eggs, but mature eggs from flies of widely differing sizes vary little in size and weight. The number of eggs laid per batch provides a good indication of the number of ovarioles present. There is no evidence of resorption of eggs retained in the ovaries, but the eggs are no longer viable after 17 days, and histological examination shows that breakdown of the eggs has taken place.