author(s)
Sanku Borkataki, Rajesh Katoch and Pankaj Goswami

abstract
The present study was designed to examine the different time period of developmental stages of fly Lucilia sericata in different artificial diet like using common bacteriological media, blood agar and Nutrient agar in comparison to natural diet like red meat of sheep. The parental adult fly containing 10 female and 5 male flies per cages (30X30X30cm) and replicate of four cages for each type of diet were evaluated over one continuous generation. Recording the time required for egg hatching, larval developments, pupation and total time for egg-eclosion was performed every three hours intervals for eggs and every six hours intervals for larva and pupa. Total time period in days required for completion of the life cycle was recorded as 12.29±0.16 days for diet using red meat of sheep which was shortest time period as compared to blood agar (14.41±0.21) and nutrient agar (17.55±0.19). The bacteriological media are prepared in sterile condition and do not produce any offensive odour when kept for a longer time which is unlikely with natural meat. The present study revealed that though natural meat led the early development of larvae and other transformation stages of L. sericata, artificial laboratory media can also be used as an alternative to replace the natural meat as diet for laboratory colonization of L. sericata effectively.