Necrophagous beetles of genus Thanatophilus are well recognized as a group of beetles with a high potential utility in forensic entomology. They can be used to estimate postmortem interval (PMI) or validate the value for other groups of insects commonly encountered on human remains, like blowflies (Calliphoridae). However, reliable tools for instar and species identification of their larvae are needed as such information is crucial for allowing accurate PMI estimate. One of the most common species of the genus Thanatophilus in Europe is Thanatophilus sinuatus. This species occurs frequently on human remains and its larvae feed on decaying tissues throughout their development. Therefore, the larvae could become useful bioindicators for forensic entomology, although their current description does not allow reliable instar or species identification. Our goal was to provide morphological characters for species and instar identification of all larval stages of T. sinuatus. The larvae were obtained from laboratory rearing under controlled conditions (20 °C and 16:8 h of light/dark period). Qualitative and quantitative morphological instar and species-specific characters are described and illustrated. Additionally, we report observations of biological and developmental lengths for all stages of the species. We also compared these morphological characters with recent description of T. rugosus and provided an identification key of these two similar and often co-occurring species. We noticed that some characters for instar identification were shared between T. sinuatus and T. rugosus and were confirmed by comparison with larvae of T. dentigerus that they can be applied to other species of the genus.

• MeSH
• Coleoptera classification   growth & development   MeSH
• Forensic Entomology * MeSH
• Evaluation Studies as Topic MeSH
• Pupa classification   growth & development   MeSH
• Larva classification   growth & development   MeSH
• Microscopy, Electron, Scanning MeSH
• Optical Imaging MeSH
• Feeding Behavior MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

The aim of the study was to evaluate the potential of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) for the species identification of sand flies at different developmental stages and map changes in their protein profiles during the course of whole life cycle. Specimens of six different species from laboratory colonies at larval and pupal stages were examined using MALDI-TOF MS. The protein profiles of larvae were stable from the L2 to L4 developmental stages and clearly distinguishable at the species level. In a validation study, 123 larvae of the six species were queried against reference database resulting in 93% correct species identification (log score values higher than 2.0). The spectra generated from sand fly pupae allow species identification as well and surprisingly, in contrast to biting midges and mosquitoes, they did not change during this developmental stage. For adults, thorax was revealed as the optimal body part for sample preparation yielding reproducible spectra regardless age and diet. Only variations were uncovered for freshly engorged females profiles of which were affected by blood signals first two days post bloodmeal. The findings demonstrate that in addition to adult species differentiation MALDI-TOF MS may also serve as a rapid and effective tool for species identification of juvenile stages of phlebotomine sand flies.

• MeSH
• Species Specificity MeSH
• Pupa classification   growth & development   MeSH
• Larva classification   growth & development   MeSH
• Psychodidae classification   growth & development   MeSH
• Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization methods   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Female MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH

Mature larvae and pupae of Lixus (Eulixus) canescens Steven, 1829 (Curculionidae: Lixinae: Lixini) are described and compared with known larvae and pupae of other Lixus species. The biology of the species was studied in Ukraine. A species of Crambe (Brassicaceae) was identified as host plant of both larvae and adults of this weevil. The weevil is very likely oligophagous. Lixus canescens prefers dry, sunny places, such as open areas of sand close to sea shores with growing host plants. Overwintering beetles emerge in the late spring (mid-May), and then feed and mate on the host plants. The highest level of activity of the adults was observed at the end of May. Larvae are endophagous in the host plant stem. At the end of July, the larvae pupate within the stem inside a pupation cell. Adults leave the cells at the end of summer and do not hibernate on the host plants. They then, most likely, spend some time feeding on the host plants and looking for suitable shelter in which to overwinter.

• MeSH
• Animal Structures anatomy & histology   growth & development   MeSH
• Arthropods anatomy & histology   classification   growth & development   MeSH
• Ecosystem MeSH
• Pupa anatomy & histology   classification   growth & development   MeSH
• Larva anatomy & histology   classification   growth & development   MeSH
• Plant Diseases parasitology   MeSH
• Weevils anatomy & histology   classification   growth & development   MeSH
• Seasons MeSH
• Plant Stems parasitology   MeSH
• Organ Size MeSH
• Body Size MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Geographicals
• Ukraine MeSH

This is the first description of larva and puparium of Oplodontha rubrithorax (Macquart, 1838) from the Oriental Region. Larvae were found at a hot spring in North Thailand. The morphological features and cuticular structures of the larva are documented by drawings and SEM micrographs and the main characters are compared with the European O. viridula (Fabricius, 1775), the only described larva of this genus. Differences between larvae of both species were only found in pubescence. The characteristic, somewhat dilated and slightly clavate hairs on the dorsal surface of the body segments of O. viridula larva are apparently lacking in the larva of O. rubrithorax.

• MeSH
• Animal Structures anatomy & histology   growth & development   MeSH
• Diptera anatomy & histology   classification   growth & development   MeSH
• Ecosystem MeSH
• Pupa anatomy & histology   classification   growth & development   MeSH
• Larva anatomy & histology   classification   growth & development   MeSH
• Animal Distribution MeSH
• Organ Size MeSH
• Body Size MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH

Larvae of 14 species and pupae of 12 species of Palaearctic Tychius Germar, 1817 are described for the first time. Larvae and pupae of T.meliloti Stephens, 1831, T. squamulatus Gyllenhal, 1835 and T. quinquepunctatus (Linnaeus, 1758), are redescribed with addition of new characters. They belong to 10 of 22 groups of species assembled through adult morphological characters in this region and, like all other Tychius with known biology, the studied species live on Leguminosae Papilionoideae, belonging to the tribes Genisteae, Loteae, Galegeae, Trifolieae and Vicieae. Generally larvae, but not pupae, show a few characters useful to support some groupings previously postulated on adult morphology, and also suggest some phylogenetic relationships among groups although these are partly weak because of several clear parallelisms or convergences. One of the most numerous and better known group of species, the T. stephensi group living on Trifolieae, is supported by two distinctive larval character states, whereas all the other groups seem to be distinguishable from each other at least by a unique larval character state. New bionomic data concerning larval and pupal development and adult emergence are reported for all the described species. These data confirm that this genus is highly homogeneous in habits and times of development, with unique adaptive differences in adult emergence and overwintering according to the single or double seasonal flowering of the host plant. On the basis of morphological characters of immatures and adults, a possible concordance between the evolution of Tychius and that of their host plants is discussed.

• MeSH
• Animal Structures anatomy & histology   growth & development   MeSH
• Biological Evolution MeSH
• Fabaceae parasitology   MeSH
• Phylogeny * MeSH
• Pupa anatomy & histology   classification   genetics   growth & development   MeSH
• Larva anatomy & histology   classification   genetics   growth & development   MeSH
• Weevils anatomy & histology   classification   genetics   growth & development   MeSH
• Animal Distribution MeSH
• Organ Size MeSH
• Body Size MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH