Embryology of Lucilia Sericata Meigen (Diptera: Calliphoridae) Part I. Cell Cleavage and Early Embryonic Development

Abstract

Investigations in insect embryology can be traced back to the early 19th century which period included the works of Herold (1815) on Lepidoptera and Humel (1835) on the roach. In 1843 Kolliker published a comparative study of insect and vertebrate development. The first comprehensive work on dipterous embryology was that of Weismann (1863). Kowalewsky (1871) whose research dealt with worms and arthropods was the first investigator to study fixed and sectioned material. Graber's (1879, 1888, 1889, 1890) works on muscid development represent probably the most extensive treatise on dipterous embryology. Gambrell (1933) lists the Diptera whose development has been studied up to 1932. A complete list of references dealing with dipterous embryology is contained in Johannsen and Butt (1941). The embryology of several species of Lucilia has been investigated by Graber (1881, 1889), Escherich (1900, 1902) and Noack (1901) but apparently no study has been made on the development of Lucilia sericata Meigen.