Muscina is a genus of flies that belongs to the family Muscidae, currently consisting of 27 species.["ITIS Standard Report Page: Muscina."
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/ref> They are worldwide in distribution and are frequently found in livestock facilities and outside restrooms. The most common species are M. stabulans (the most widely studied species), M. levida, and M. prolapsa. Muscina flies commonly breed in manure and defecate on food, which has been linked to the spread of some disease and illnesses.["False Stable Fly." North Carolina IPM. 20 Mar. 2009 ]["Fly Control In Confined Livestock And Poultry Production - Novartis Animal Health Inc." The Control Of Flies On Livestock And Poultry Farms - Novartis Animal Health Inc. 20 Mar. 2009] The occurrence of Muscina larvae on dead bodies has led to their regular use in forensic investigations, as they may be used to estimate the time of death.[
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Characteristics
Muscina species are characterized by a retractable proboscis, sponging or sucking mouthparts, and a pale tip on the scutellum.[ The species M. stabulans and M. levida are larger than the housefly, and have moderately curved fourth veins with the latter also having a black palpi. The species M. levida has legs that are entirely black. M. pascuorum flies have a red palpi, a strongly curved fourth vein that ends in or before the wing tip, and are generally larger than M. levida.][
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Life cycle
Muscina species undergo the same transformations throughout the life cycle as similar species and families in the order Diptera. Flies in the Dipteran order undergo what is known as holometabolous transformation, a type of metabolic transformation in which an insect starts out as an egg, undergoes larval stages, and then pupates before reaching full adulthood. The adult insect is referred to as an imago.
Eggs and larvae
Flies are completely wingless at the beginning of development. In normal fly production there can be as many as 250 eggs laid by a mature female.["Decomposition: Fly eggs." 11 Mar. 2009 ] The adult female keeps the eggs inside the abdomen until all of the eggs are produced and then lays the eggs through an ovipositor located on the hind end of the abdomen.
These eggs are very small in size. Female adult flies usually choose decaying matter as sites to lay the eggs. These nutrient-rich areas are ideal for the growth and development of the hatching . In contrast to adult flies, the larvae do not have a definite head. Instead, there are two grasping hooks that they use to cut and tear food.[ It has been shown that the environmental temperature has a strong influence on larval development: increasing temperature directly influences the amount of time that the need to complete development.]
Pupa
After the larval phase, the Muscina larvae pass through a pupal stage. In this stage, there are many transformations that occur, such as the formation of legs, head, and wings. Simultaneously, a protective layer builds up and forms a Pupa, which aids in protection of the vital organs of the fly. M. levida is a species in this genus that does not form a cocoon. The duration of the pupal stage also varies depending on the temperature of the surrounding environment.[
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Adults
After sufficient time for pupal development has elapsed, the fly will be able to break out of its hard pupa shell, and the fly's wings begin to spread. Although completely formed in the pupa stage, the adult's wings do not reach its full size until outside the pupa covering. Through the use of blood vessels inside the wings, the fly is able to expand to full width and length and complete its life cycle.[
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Medical importance
Some insects have been shown to be potential carriers of pathogenic agents that can cause diseases. Mosquitoes and ticks as well as certain species of Muscina flies have been revealed to be possible vectors. M. stabulans, along with almost two dozen other species of flies have been named the “disease-causing flies.”
Forensic importance
M. stabulans and M. levida belong to the ecological group of the filth fly.
Myiasis
Myiasis is the feeding on live humans and by Diptera fly larvae.
Human
Muscina flies are rarely seen on the skin of living mammals, but there has been one reported case where a Muscina species alone caused cutaneous myiasis in a human. A nine-year-old girl from Minnesota was reported with a lump on her wrist that was reddened and elevated, but showed no signs of any external openings or of containing any pus inside. A vaseline bandage was applied after some blood was extracted, and the lump was soaked in hot water several times. Twelve hours later, a worm was found in the cut after removing the bandage. Several other small lesions were noticeable around the proximity of the cut, but they receded at about this time. The girl recovered after applying a hot pack to the lesion. The larvae were confirmed by M. T. James of the State College of Washington and C. W. Sabrosky and W. W. Wirth of the United States National Museum to be a Muscina fly, most likely M. levida.
Muscina stabulans was reported in a case of intestinal myiasis. A twenty-year-old India man experienced abdominal discomfort, bloated abdomen, and intestinal hurrying after meals. Larvae of M. stabulans were found in the man's stool.
Sheep
In certain parts of the world where sheep production is important, ovine myiasis by certain dipteran species is a major concern. Areas where ruminant myiasis are problematic are Australia, Southern Africa, and the British Isles. M. prolapsa along with other dipteran flies have been identified in cases in southwestern Scotland.
Ongoing research
Current research have delved into the role Muscina flies play in forensics. Muscina stabulans was found to be an important fly in the determination of post-mortem intervals (PMI) in the Rio Grande do Sul state in southern Brazil. M. stabulans show up during the adipocere-like stage of decomposition whereby the Carrion loses its natural shape due to hydrolysis of the fatty tissue. Moreover, M. stabulans appearance on bodies in large numbers during the autumn and winter months is useful in narrowing down time of death.
Species
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Muscina angustifrons Hermann Loew, 1858
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Muscina arcuata Shinonaga, 1989
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Muscina aurantiaca Hough, 1899
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Muscina brunnea
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Muscina concolor
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Muscina dorsilinea Wulp, 1896
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Muscina flukei Snyder, 1956
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Muscina fulvacrura Snyder, 1956
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Muscina fungivora Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830
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Muscina grisea
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Muscina heterochaeta Villeneuve, 1915
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Muscina japonica Shinonaga, 1974
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Muscina krivosheinae Lobanov, 1977
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Muscina latipennis
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Muscina levida (Moses Harris, 1780)
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Muscina longicornis
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Muscina minor Portschinsky, 1881
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Muscina pascuorum Meigen, 1826
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Muscina principalis Schiner, 1868
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Muscina prolapsa (Moses Harris, 1780)
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Muscina stabulans Fallén, 1817
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Muscina sumatrensis Shinonaga & Kurahashi, 2002
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Muscina texana
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Muscina tripunctata Wulp, 1896
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Muscina varicolor
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Further reading
External links
