POST-EMBRYONARY DEVELOPMENT OF CHRYSOMYA- MEGACEPHALA (FABRICIUS) (DIPTERA, CALLIPHORIDAE) REARED ON A SARDINE DIET PREVIOUSLY EXPOSED TO CONTROLLED TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS FOR DIFFERENT PERIODS OF TIME

The performance of Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius) immature forms wa s evaluated in experimental conditions. Larvae were reared on a sardin e diet stored in an oven at 30 degrees C for different periods of time . Fresh sardine lots were first stored in a freezer (-15 degrees C) an d transferred to a refrigerator for 24 hours. Portions were then suces sively stored at 30 degrees C for 72, 48, 24 and two hours. One-hundre d g diet in 4 replications/treatment and 2g diet per 1 larva ratio wer e used. The postfeeding larvae were separated and weighed individually . The rate of postembryonic development was inversely proportional to the time of previous storage of the diet at 30 degrees C. The postfeed ing larvae obtained from the substrates processed for two and 24 hours weighed nearly 67,0 mg. The mean weight of specimens from the remaini ng treatments was significantly lower (nearly 42.0 mg). The rate of im mature forms survival ranged from 72.5 to 87.0%, with the highest valu es being obtained for specimens reared on diets maintained at 30 degre es C for two and 24 hours. The percentage of abnormal adults was less than 5% in all treatments.