The egg and chorion of Pollenia rudis (Fabricius) (Diptera: Calliphoridae)

Abstract

The scanning electron microscope reveals that the egg of Pollenia rudis (Fabricius) is structurally suitable for a plastron method of respiration.

Egg morphology of nine species of pollenia robineau‐desvoidy, 1830 (Diptera: Calliphoridae)

“…The term ‘hatching line’ is here reserved for the line of weakness at the junction between the median area (ma) and the remaining chorion. Such a place of junction forms longitudinal folds named ‘hatching pleats’ (e.g., Erzinçlioğlu, 1989), which equals the ‘carinae’ of Richards and Morrison (1972b), and depending on species these may vary from hardly visible to well‐developed, or even broadly foliaceous folds. Hatching takes place as a rupture of the hatching line, resulting in a partition of the pleat into an outer surface (ohp), which is smooth or with small polygonal imprints, and an inner surface (ihp) often showing plastron structures.…”

“…Breeding records exist for only six species and all of these are parasitoids or predators of earthworms (Keilin, 1915; Tawfik and El‐Husseini, 1971; Yahnke and George, 1972). Morphological data concerning the immature stages are available–but greatly incomplete–for 11 species (Keilin, 1915; Szpila, 2003; Tawfik and El‐Husseini, 1971; Yahnke and George, 1972) and documentation of egg morphology was available for only two species prior to this study, P. dasypoda Portschinsky (Tawfik and El‐Husseini, 1971) and P. rudis (Fabricius) (Richards and Morrison, 1972b).…”

“…Among all the species of Pollenia , the most exhaustive literature concerns P. rudis . Papers referring to this species (e.g., concerning eggs) were summarized by Richards and Morrison (1972a), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) study was provided by Richards and Morrison (1972b), which is the only available SEM documentation of Pollenia egg morphology. It is essential to mention that data provided by Richards and Morrison (1972a, b) and previous authors should be treated with caution because of the redescription and nomenclatural revision of P. rudis by Rognes (1987).…”

“…Papers referring to this species (e.g., concerning eggs) were summarized by Richards and Morrison (1972a), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) study was provided by Richards and Morrison (1972b), which is the only available SEM documentation of Pollenia egg morphology. It is essential to mention that data provided by Richards and Morrison (1972a, b) and previous authors should be treated with caution because of the redescription and nomenclatural revision of P. rudis by Rognes (1987). As Rognes (1987) tentatively stated, information about immature stages of ‘ P. rudis ’ published before 1987 should probably be assigned to P. pediculata Macquart, or more broadly to the ‘ rudis ’ group of species.…”

Endo- or ecto-parasitism with the cluster fly, Pollenia dasypoda Portochisky (Diptera: Calliphoridae), based on the diameter of its host body, the earthworm Allolobophora caligonosa (Sav.)

“…In all studies, the cluster flies were found as endo-parasitoids during their larval stage of earthworms and snails. Among the available literature, less than 10 species were studied for their life cycles as predators or endo-parasitoids on earthworms (Keilin 1915;Tawfik and El-Husseini 1971;Yahnke and George 1972;Richards and Morrison 1972;Szpila 2003;Grzywacz et al 2012).…”