Biological parameters of Chrysomya marginalis (Wiedemann, 1830) and Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann, 1819) (Diptera: Calliphoridae), two necrophagous insects bred on pig substrate (Sus scrofa domesticus L.) in the sub-Sudanese zone of Côte d’Ivoire

Abstract

When a corpse is discovered, estimating the post-mortem interval requires knowledge of the biological parameters of the first colonizing  insects. The objective of this work was to determine the biological parameters of Chrysomya marginalis and Chrysomya albiceps in an  ambient environment during the dry and rainy season on pig substrate. C. marginalis and C. albiceps come from eggs laid on pig  carcasses exhibited at the botanical garden of the Peleforo Gon Coulibaly University of Korhogo. Eggs collected from these pig carcasses  were incubated in cylindrical breeding cages containing striated pig muscle. The larvae were fed using the same substrate. After the  adults’ emergence, thirty pairs of each species were introduced into breeding cages containing pig striated muscle weighing 200 g. Daily  monitoring made it possible to determine the different biological parameters. The total durations of the development cycle of the two  species were 245.53 ± 14.85 and 243.13 ± 19.86 hours in the dry seasons respectively for C. albiceps and C. marginalis. During the rainy  season, these durations were 259.30 ± 9.33 and 270.46 ± 15.56 hours respectively for C. albiceps and C. marginalis. During these two  periods, females had a longer lifetime than males. On the other hand, during the rainy season, both sexes had practically the same  lifetime. These results are important tools in carcasse dating.