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These insects do not feed directly on the decomposing remains or its fluids, but are considered to be the second most forensically important ecological role. [ 3 ] [ 7 ] Predators of necrophagous insects include species from the Coleoptera families Silphidae (carrion beetles) and Staphylinidae (rove beetles). [ 3 ]
Larvae are the feeding and growing stages and periodically undergo hormone-induced ecdysis, developing further with each instar, until they undergo the final larval–pupal moult. The larvae of many lepidopteran species will either make a spun casing of silk called a cocoon and pupate inside it, or will pupate in a cell under the ground.
The main exception is in those species whose larvae are not fully sclerotized, mainly some holometabola; but even most unsclerotized or weakly sclerotized larvae tend to have well-sclerotized head capsules, for example, the larvae of Coleoptera and Hymenoptera. The larvae of Cyclorrhapha however, tend to have hardly any head capsule at all.
The fly larvae digest part of the carcass, and the beetle larvae will consume the parts that the fly larvae did not, which typically consists of flesh left on the bones and on the moist inside of the face. [5] Eventually the larvae will fall to the ground, dig into the dirt, and pupate. Adults practice overwintering. [2] [3]
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Necrophages are useful for other purposes too. In healthcare, green bottle fly larvae are sometimes used to remove necrotic (dead) tissue from non-healing wounds, [10] [11] and in waste management, black soldier fly larvae are used to convert decomposing organic waste into animal feed.
The larvae of Diptera feed on a diverse array of nutrients ; often these are different from those of adults, for instance the larvae of Syrphidae in which family the adults are flower-feeding are saprotrophs, eating decaying plant or animal matter, or insectivores, eating aphids, thrips, and other plant-sucking insects.
Larvae are yellow-white but the head and body setae are brown. As the larvae further develop, their color changes to a golden or reddish brown and the abdomen portion becomes proportionally shorter. The mature larvae reach a maximum length of 6 mm long and 1.5 mm wide. [27] The khapra beetle is a stored-product pest.