Identification of digestive hydrolases in the larval midgut of the camel nasal bot fly cephalopina titilla tor clark [diptera: Oestridae]

Activities of digestive hydrolases associated with midgut of the third instar larva of Cephalopina titillator were investigated. Based on the hydrolysis of synthetic substrates and optimum pH, it was found that C. titillator midgut contains trypsin-like [optimum pH, 9], chymotrypsin esterase-like [optimum pH, 8], carboxypeptidase A and B [optimum pH at 8.5 and 7 respectively], alkaline- and acidphosphatase [optimum pH at 9 and 5 respectively] and membrane bound leucine aminopeptidase [optimum pH, 8]. An acid proteinase activity was detected, by the ability to hydrolyze acid denaturated haemoglobin; and it seems to be close to pepsin than cathepsin-like enzyme. It has a maximum activity at pH 3.5. alpha-Glucosidase activity, and was also identified [optimum pH at 6] in the midgut, and seems to be membrane bound

Cytogenetic studies of calliphora vicina and lucilia sericata [diptera: calliphoridae] from North Western Egypt

The blow fly, Calliphora vicina [Robineau-Desvoidy. 1830] and the green bottle fly. Lucilia sericata [Meigen, 1826] were collected from the north coast of Egypt. The karyotype of both flies was characterized by cytotaxonomical methods, including chromosome number, shape, relative length, arm ratio, centromeric index and designation. To quantify relative chromosome length, the percent of total haploid autosomal complement length [%TACL] for each autosome was calculated. The deploid number of chromosomes, of both flies, is 2n = 12 where females have XX and males have XY sex determination mechanism. C. vicina have four metacentric autosomal pairs, with variable arm ratios, and one submetacentric pair. Both X and Y chromosomes are metacentric whereas X chromosome is the longest chromosome in the designation. The karyotype of L. sericata is characterized by the first autosome which is somewhat longer than all other chromosomes [%TACL = 27.02]. The autosomes of L. sericata are four metacentric pairs and one submetacentric pair. X and Y chromosomes are metacentric and submetacentric, respectively