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Notes upon the biology and morphology of the immature stages of Neottiophilum praeustum (Meigen, 1926)(Diptera: Neottiophilidae) parasitic on birds
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 06 April 2009
Extract
1. The feeding habits of second- and third-instar larvae of Neottiophilum praeustum have been observed and show that this species is a true parasite of birds and feeds by sucking the blood of nestlings.
2. If they are too numerous the larvae may kill the nestlings. Although they will continue to feed upon dead birds, and even penetrate into the viscera, such food is unsuitable for the development of the larvae and they become greatly distended and die within a few days.
3. The morphology of the hitherto unknown second-instar larva is described and is compared with that of the third instar.
4. Within the puparium of Neottiophilum praeustum there is a fourth moult resulting in the formation of a cast prepupal cuticle which resembles that described by Snodgrass in Rhagoletis pomonella and is much better developed than the prepupal cuticle in Calliphora erythrocephala.
5. The better development of the prepupal cuticle in the acalypterates than in calypterates indicates that the presence of a prepupal stage in the cyclorrhaphous Diptera is a primitive character and is progressively reduced until in the higher families it is almost vestigial.
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- Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1954
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