DOI 10.1007/s00436-005-0052-4 SHORT COMMUNICATION

Abstract Megaselia scalaris (Loew), a scuttle fly, is a fly species of medical and forensic importance. For use in forensic investigation, fly specimens found to associate with human corpses have to be identified at species level. Herein, we present the morphology of the puparia of the above fly species using scanning electron microscopy. The characteristic of the intersegmental spines along the dorsal and lateral segments and sculpture of the pupal respiratory horn of this puparia may be useful in future studies, to distinguish it from other closely related species. Megaselia scalaris (Loew), a scuttle fly (Diptera: Phor-idae), is a fly species of medical importance. The larvae are myiasis-producing agents in humans and animals (Zumpt 1965; Singh and Rana 1989; Disney 1994; Hira et al. 2004), and pestiferous in fruit (Karunaweera et al. 2002), while adults are a predator of other insect colonies (Barre et al. 1991). This fly has been employed as an animal subject in biological and/or medical experiments (Suck and Traut 2000; Harrison and Cooper 2003; Trumble and Jensen 2004). The other viewpoint of medical importance is the involvement with human corpses in forensic investigations or forensic entomology. Many authors have revealed that some stages in the life cycle of M. scalaris (eggs, larvae, pupae, and/or adults) were found to associate with cases o