Cynomya Cadaverina - Life Cycle and Development

Life Cycle and Development

Members of the order Diptera have a holometabolous lifecycle meaning they go through four life stages: egg, larva, pupa and imago, or adult. C. cadaverina typically has around 17 generations of offspring per year with 25 to 50 eggs per generation if the right conditions are present. Temperature can have an extreme impact on development. If the temperature gets above or below a certain temperature it can cause all development of the fly to stop. In general, the warmer it is, the faster the lifecycle will go. While if it is colder, the lifecycle may take longer than usual. This has to be taken into account when estimating the postmortem interval.

Adults of C. cadaverina lay their eggs in open wounds or natural body openings on carrion typically in small clusters or scattered singly. The eggs usually hatch out within 24 to 72 hours depending on the season. The eggs will then hatch into larvae that will go through three instars (stages). Each one of these stages is separated by a molt. During a molt, the larvae shed its outer layer in order to accommodate for new growth that comes with increased consumption of food needed for energy stores. The first instar typically lasts for approximately 20 hours while the second instar lasts for 16 hours followed by the third instar for 72 hours. After the larvae have completed their development and stored as much energy as possible they disperse to a safe area to complete their next stage, the pupal stage. This stage lasts for about 9 days before the fly finally emerges as an adult. The total lifecycle of C. cadaverina can take anywhere from 17–19 days depending on the temperature.