An artificial diet for blow fly larvae, Lucilia sericata (Meigen) (Diptera: Calliphoridae).

Abstract

Larvae of the blow fly, Lucilia sericata (Diptera: Calliphoridae) were reared on an artificial diet primarily composed of whole milk powder, dried yeast and wheat germ. No significant differences were observed in mortality during the larval and pupal stages, and in pupal weight between larvae reared on this diet and those reared on beef liver, although duration of the larval stage on the artificial diet was a little longer than that on beef liver. This artificial diet is suitable for use in laboratory experiments on this species.