Marking with pigments for identification of flies in experimental populations of Megaselia scalaris Loew

Abstract

The insect marking technique of Tadei & Mourão (1976) is until now the only experimental method allowing real-age determination of each individual in a population and, consequently, determination of age structure in a given population. We propose an improvement of this technique, used here to determine the population age structure of the geographical strain SR of the Megaselia scalaris Loew (Diptera; Phoridae), maintained by serial transfer technique at constant temperatures 25 ± 1.0ºC and 20 ± 1.0ºC. Determining the age structure allowed the calculation of the real longevity of the flies and the identification of the effect of temperature decisive factors in these are the technique of marking insects, because otherwise we would only have an estimate, and depending on mistakes there in, the effect of the determinant factor (temperature) cannot be detected.

Keywords

• technique for marking insects
• Megaselia
• populations
• age structure