Thermal requirements for Hypoderma lineatum (Diptera:Oestridae) egg development.

This study was designed to define lower thermal limits for common cattle grub, Hypoderma lineatum (Villers), egg development. The data collected in this study suggest that embryonic development was prolonged as temperature was lowered. No hatch was observed when eggs were incubated at a constant temperature of 20 degrees C. Measurements of cattle skin temperature and ovipositional behavior of the gravid female fly suggest that eggs are oviposited in a suitable thermal environment for successful embryonic development. Eggs oviposited on cattle held in an unheated barn hatched within 1 wk confirming that cattle can be successfully laboratory infested in unheated barns during winter in central Texas.