The muscid Synthesiomyia nudiseta (van der Wulp, 1883) is a species with forensic importance in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. This fly has recently been introduced into southern Europe and, until now, had not been recorded in forensic cases in this region. Here, morphology of all larval instars of S. nudiseta is documented in detail by using a combination of light and scanning electron microscopy. Literature data concerning larval morphology are revised and characters allowing identification from other forensically important Muscidae are listed. The life cycle of this species was studied at four constant temperatures: 15, 20, 25 and 30 °C. Total development varied between 46.50 ± 0.97 days at 15 °C and 15.39 ± 0.32 days at 30 °C. Moreover, we report this species breeding in human corpses, for the first time in Europe, in forensic cases from autopsies at the Anatomical Forensic Institute of Madrid and the Institute of Legal Medicine of Alicante, Spain.

The objectives of this study were to identify the preimaginal development of instars of Diachasmimorpha tryoni (Cameron) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Opiinae), a larvo-pupal parasitoid of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), and to define its thermal requirements. Development was followed daily and parasitoid stage and size were noted. Larval samples were observed under a scanning electron microscope. Developmental rate as a function of temperature was studied with the Sharpe-DeMichele 6-parameter biophysical model and thermal requirements (lower developmental threshold and thermal constant) calculated using a linear regression. The duration of parasitoid development at seven temperatures ranged from 16.52 ± 0.96 days at 28 °C to 57.62 ± 1.85 days at 15 °C (males) and from 18.00 ± 0.79 days at 28 °C to 63.60 ± 1.52 days at 15 °C (females). Male development always took shorter than female development. No parasitoids emerged at 29 and 30 °C, which seems to be close to maximal temperature. The development required 322.6 ± 17.6 degree-days above a thermal threshold of 9.19 °C (both sexes cumulated). These data are compared with those of the host fruit fly, and the suitability of D. tryoni in controlling the Mediterranean fruit fly in Reunion Island is discussed.

Temperature-time and temperature–velocity equations are given for egg, larval and pupal stages of the sorghum shootfly, Atherigona soccata. Preimaginal development (from egg deposition to adult emergence) on sorghum CSH-1 seedlings lasted 19.5, 26.3, 33.8 and 76.8 days at 30, 25, 20 and 15°C, respectively. The sorghum shootfly showed optimal development and survival at 30°C. Lower threshold temperatures were 13.8, 10.2 and 11.8°C for the egg, larva and pupa, respectively. Host plant condition affected larval development and survival; pupal weight was higher and larval mortality lower in insects reared on fertilized and normally watered seedlings than on unfertilized and water stressed seedlings.