Larval Length (Body Length)
Definition
The maximum extended length of a blow fly larva, measured from the anterior tip to the posterior end in freshly killed or ethanol-fixed specimens. Contracted live larvae must not be measured directly; relaxing them in hot water before preservation is standard protocol.
Related terms
- Isomegalen Diagram
- A contour plot with temperature on the y-axis and age on the x-axis, where each contour line connects all (temperature, age) combinations...
- Isomorphen Diagram
- A contour plot of the same axes where each contour connects all (temperature, age) combinations that produce the same morphological developmental stage...
- Larval Instar
- One of three larval stages (L1, L2, L3) separated by moults. Each instar has distinctive mouth-hook and posterior spiracle morphology that allows...
- Rearing Temperature
- The constant or mean temperature at which a larval cohort was held in the laboratory experiment that generated the developmental dataset. The...
- Thermal Constant (K)
- The total ADD or ADH required to complete a developmental phase from egg to a defined endpoint. Different from the isomegalen approach...
Explained in
- Larval Age and Development: Isomegalen and Isomorphen DiagramsThe maximum extended length of a blow fly larva, measured from the anterior tip to the posterior end in freshly killed or ethanol-fixed specimens. Contracted l...