CHARACTERIZATION OF ULTRA-STRUCTURES OF 2ND AND 3RD INSTAR SARCOPHAGID RECOVERED FROM RAT (RATTUS RATTUS) CARRION
Amal. M. Elmatary and Hanaa Y. Bakir
Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Egypt
Because of their considerable veterinary and medico-forensic importance, ultra-structures of 2nd and 3rd instars of an unidentified sarcophagid species recovered from rat (Rattus rattus) carrion were examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM). Although the morphological features of these larvae were similar to other sarcophagid larvae, some features may be distinctive and helpful for species identification. Special attention was given to the spination on different parts of the body and number and arrangement of papillae of anterior spiracles. Structures of spinules and size of circumspiracular tubercles at caudal segment were also described. This information could be a useful baseline data for future identification of sarcophagid larvae and sheds light on differentiation between sarcophagid larvae recovered from human corpus and rat carrion. It is worth mentioning that the lateral row of spiracular-like openings and the scattered sessile papillae on the pleural and dorsal aspects of the 2nd instar and the presence of slit-like anal opening in the 3rd instar were described for the first time in the present study.
June 2011