http://starc.stthomas.ac.in:8080/xmlui/xmlui/handle/123456789/43 Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:23:06 GMT 2026-04-17T12:23:06Z http://http://starc.stthomas.ac.in:8080/xmlui:8080/xmlui/bitstream/id/e4769964-b4f3-4d42-8150-e4e198007c80/ http://starc.stthomas.ac.in:8080/xmlui/xmlui/handle/123456789/43 http://starc.stthomas.ac.in:8080/xmlui/xmlui/handle/123456789/408 A check list of blow fly fauna (Diptera, Calliphoridae) of Kerala including forensically significant species Reject Paul, M.P.; Binoy, C.F. : Seventeen species of blow fly belonging to four subfamilies and eight genera were recorded from Kerala based on field studies and literature. Out of the 17 species, seven are forensically significant, six are pollinators and two species each are carrion breeders and termite predators respectively. The distinguishing features and distribution of all the species are discussed. © 2023 Association for Advancement of Entomology Sat, 30 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT http://starc.stthomas.ac.in:8080/xmlui/xmlui/handle/123456789/408 2023-09-30T00:00:00Z http://starc.stthomas.ac.in:8080/xmlui/xmlui/handle/123456789/390 Forensic implications of the seasonal changes in the rate ofdevelopment of the blowfly, Chrysomya megacephala(Fabricius) (Diptera, Calliphoridae) Reject Paul, M.P.; Binoy, C.F Studies on the development rate of Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius) suggested thatthe blowfly as a significant candidate for forensic investigations. Under natural ambient conditionsdevelopment rate of C. megacephala in monsoon, winter and summer seasons indicated significantdifferences among seasons. The larvae began pupation at 92nd h in summer, 157th h in the monsoon seasonand 191st h in winter. Rapid larval growth in terms of length was observed in summer. During summer, thelength of the larvae increased to a maximum of 13.9 mm at 54th h. Time taken for the emergence of the adultfly was 164, 249 and 311h in summer, monsoon and winter seasons respectively. Life table studies wereconducted to assess the percentage survival and mortality by recording the survival rate of differentdevelopment stages. Molecular diagnosis of species was done using COI gene. The analysis includedmolecular sequences of other samples of the same species from different regions of India. The neighbor-joining method allowed us to identify the species at molecular level with precision and accuracy.© 2022 Association for Advancement of Entomology Thu, 01 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMT http://starc.stthomas.ac.in:8080/xmlui/xmlui/handle/123456789/390 2022-12-01T00:00:00Z http://starc.stthomas.ac.in:8080/xmlui/xmlui/handle/123456789/389 Foraging activity and breeding system of Avicennia officinalis L. (Avicenniaceae) in Kerala, India Vinaya, K.; Binoy, C.F. Field studies were carried out to assess the foraging activity and the breeding system of Avicennia officinalis L. in Chettuwa, Thrissur, India during the two flowering seasons of 2018–2019. A. officinalis, also known as the Indian mangrove is a common mangrove occupying the river banks of the Kerala coast of southern India. The plant blooms massively during the onset of the first summer showers. The flowering to fruiting period lasted from April to July. Bagging experiments revealed that A. officinalis preferred a mixed breeding system though they had a low fruit set recorded in self-pollination experiments. A total of 15 species of foraging insects belonging to three orders, Hymenoptera, Diptera, and Lepidoptera, were observed. The three most abundant insect foragers were Apis florea Fabr., Campsomeriella collaris Fabr., and Chrysomya megacephala Fabr. Among these, A. florea showed a significantly high visitation rate followed by C. collarisand then C. megacephala. C. collaris, however, had the highest and most significant handling time for Avicennia officinalis than A. florea. The peak foraging activity was recorded from 1000h to 1100h and from 1500h to 1700h. These findings emphasize the importance of insect flower visitors in the breeding of A. officinalis, highlighting the need to maintain the plant-pollinator relationships for the protection of mangrove ecosystems Sat, 26 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMT http://starc.stthomas.ac.in:8080/xmlui/xmlui/handle/123456789/389 2022-11-26T00:00:00Z http://starc.stthomas.ac.in:8080/xmlui/xmlui/handle/123456789/386 Ultra structure of second instar larva ofHemipyrellia ligurriens (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Calliphoridae),a forensically important blow fly species from India Reject Paul, M.P.; Binoy, C.F. Ultra structural characters of second instar larvae of Hemipyrellia ligurriens areelucidated through micrographs (Scanning Electron Microscope). Morphological details of maxillarypalpi, antennae, oral cirri, facial mask, labial lobe, spinulations, and papillae of anal segment aredescribed. Oral cirri are ten in number, arranged bilaterally on each side of the functional mouthopening and gently curved medially. The labial lobes are distinctively demarcated with fleshyprojections antero–ventrally and have a characteristic shape. Thoracic spines have a bulbous base,slender sharp tips and are directed backwards. Prominent dorsal and ventral anal papillae withprojected tips and broad conical base were present surrounded by microtrichia. The ultrastructuredetails of H. ligurriens would help in the rapid and accurate identification of the species in forensicinvestigations and to estimate time since death in medico legal cases. This is the first report on theultra-structural features of H. ligurriens. © 2021 Association for Advancement of Entomology Wed, 31 Mar 2021 00:00:00 GMT http://starc.stthomas.ac.in:8080/xmlui/xmlui/handle/123456789/386 2021-03-31T00:00:00Z