A preliminary evaluation on bivariate allometry in active-feeding Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius, 1794) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) larvae

The potential use of larval cephalopharyngeal skeleton as an alternative growth indicator in forensic entomology practice was assessed based on its developmental pattern, growth performance, and allometric relationship with the larval body. Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius, 1794), was used as an e...

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Main Author: Raja Muhammad Zuha Raja Kamal Bashah
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 2022
Online Access:http://journalarticle.ukm.my/19510/
http://journalarticle.ukm.my/19510/1/5%2B-%2BBIVARIATE%2BALLOMETRY%2BIN%2BChrysomya%2Bmegacephala.pdf
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author Raja Muhammad Zuha Raja Kamal Bashah,
author_facet Raja Muhammad Zuha Raja Kamal Bashah,
author_sort Raja Muhammad Zuha Raja Kamal Bashah,
building UKM Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description The potential use of larval cephalopharyngeal skeleton as an alternative growth indicator in forensic entomology practice was assessed based on its developmental pattern, growth performance, and allometric relationship with the larval body. Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius, 1794), was used as an experimental species and larval development was studied at ambient temperatures and relative humidity. Larval body size was measured from the furthest part of the head to the last abdominal segment. The cephalopharyngeal skeleton was extracted from the body and measured from the tip of the dorsal bridge to the left face of the dorsal cornu. Daily progression of larval body length and cephalopharyngeal skeleton length showed the latter significantly had slower growth rates. The allometry of the larval body and cephalopharyngeal skeleton showed they were correlated only because both variables increased across the three larval instars, suggesting a spurious correlation. Separate bivariate correlations between the two variables showed only the first instar larvae had a significant (p<0.01) but weak correlation, r=0.33. However, removing the effect of larval instars still produced a statistically significant correlation (p<0.001) albeit with moderate strength, r=0.57. From this study, there was not enough evidence to support the cephalopharyngeal skeleton as an equal or a better alternative to the larval body as a growth indicator.
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spelling oai:generic.eprints.org:195102022-08-29T06:24:23Z http://journalarticle.ukm.my/19510/ A preliminary evaluation on bivariate allometry in active-feeding Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius, 1794) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) larvae Raja Muhammad Zuha Raja Kamal Bashah, The potential use of larval cephalopharyngeal skeleton as an alternative growth indicator in forensic entomology practice was assessed based on its developmental pattern, growth performance, and allometric relationship with the larval body. Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius, 1794), was used as an experimental species and larval development was studied at ambient temperatures and relative humidity. Larval body size was measured from the furthest part of the head to the last abdominal segment. The cephalopharyngeal skeleton was extracted from the body and measured from the tip of the dorsal bridge to the left face of the dorsal cornu. Daily progression of larval body length and cephalopharyngeal skeleton length showed the latter significantly had slower growth rates. The allometry of the larval body and cephalopharyngeal skeleton showed they were correlated only because both variables increased across the three larval instars, suggesting a spurious correlation. Separate bivariate correlations between the two variables showed only the first instar larvae had a significant (p<0.01) but weak correlation, r=0.33. However, removing the effect of larval instars still produced a statistically significant correlation (p<0.001) albeit with moderate strength, r=0.57. From this study, there was not enough evidence to support the cephalopharyngeal skeleton as an equal or a better alternative to the larval body as a growth indicator. Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 2022 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://journalarticle.ukm.my/19510/1/5%2B-%2BBIVARIATE%2BALLOMETRY%2BIN%2BChrysomya%2Bmegacephala.pdf Raja Muhammad Zuha Raja Kamal Bashah, (2022) A preliminary evaluation on bivariate allometry in active-feeding Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius, 1794) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) larvae. Malaysian Applied Biology, 51 (1). pp. 49-58. ISSN 0126-8643 https://jms.mabjournal.com/index.php/mab/issue/view/44
spellingShingle Raja Muhammad Zuha Raja Kamal Bashah,
A preliminary evaluation on bivariate allometry in active-feeding Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius, 1794) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) larvae
title A preliminary evaluation on bivariate allometry in active-feeding Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius, 1794) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) larvae
title_full A preliminary evaluation on bivariate allometry in active-feeding Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius, 1794) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) larvae
title_fullStr A preliminary evaluation on bivariate allometry in active-feeding Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius, 1794) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) larvae
title_full_unstemmed A preliminary evaluation on bivariate allometry in active-feeding Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius, 1794) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) larvae
title_short A preliminary evaluation on bivariate allometry in active-feeding Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius, 1794) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) larvae
title_sort preliminary evaluation on bivariate allometry in active-feeding chrysomya megacephala (fabricius, 1794) (diptera: calliphoridae) larvae
url http://journalarticle.ukm.my/19510/
http://journalarticle.ukm.my/19510/
http://journalarticle.ukm.my/19510/1/5%2B-%2BBIVARIATE%2BALLOMETRY%2BIN%2BChrysomya%2Bmegacephala.pdf