Anoxia Tolerance in Four Forensically Important Calliphorid Species
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Dear Melissa Lein Authement , Leon G. Higley*, W. Wyatt Hoback,
Your article of Anoxia Tolerance in Four Forensically Important Calliphorid Species is read. Forensically important blow flies, Diptera: Calliphoridae, are among the first organisms to colonize carrion. After eggs hatch, the larvae of most blow fly species feed in an aggregation or “mass.” While in this mass larvae may experience periods of hypoxia/ anoxia, but the tolerance of blow fly larvae to anoxic conditions is poorly studied. You tested the anoxia tolerance of four species of calliphorids (Calliphora vicina, Cochliomyia macellaria, Lucilia sericata, and Phormia regina), by examining actively-feeding third stage larvae across five temperatures (20, 25, 30, 35, and 40°C). Experiments were conducted by exposing larvae to pure nitrogen environments and determining mortality at set time intervals. All species show significant linear relationships between survival time and temperature under anoxic conditions. Of species tested, C. macellaria had the greatest tolerance to anoxia (LT50 lethal time to 50% survivorship of 9 h at 20°C). In contrast, C. vicina was the least tolerant (LT50 of 2.2 h at 40°C). With all species, survivorship decreased with increasing temperature. Unlike many other insects tested in severe hypoxia, the larvae of the calliphorids tested, which included members of three subfamilies, were not tolerant of anoxic conditions. From these findings, it seems likely that hypoxia is a significant limitation for maggots submerged in a maggot mass, particularly with high maggot mass temperature. Forensically, these data provide a limit on potential maggot survival on bodies that have been submerged or otherwise experience severe hypoxia before discovery.
In a word, I aggreed the article should be published in the Journal of Forensic Sciences, MDPI.
Author Response
This reviewer didn't offer any suggested changes.
Reviewer 2 Report
forensicsci-2091460 Anoxia Tolerance In Four Forensically Important Calliphorid SpeciesAuthors described the he anoxia tolerance of four species of calliphorids (Calliphora vicina, Cochliomyia macellaria, Lucilia sericata, and Phormia regina), by examining actively-feeding third stage larvae across five temperatures and headline that hypoxia might be a significant limitation on potential maggot survival on bodies that have been submerged or otherwise experience severe hypoxia before discovery. Present findings might be useful for forensic science. Article is well-written, authors described with details the whole methodology and also the statistic part. Also result are well presented, and discussed properly. I have only few questions.
L21 - ".. in a maggot mass, particularly with high maggot mass temperature" I do not understand this statement, please rewrite this clearly.
L193 - Please explain the meaning LT25, LT50, and LT75, and explain why did you choose these parameters
Discussion - please discuss more the differences between LT50 parameter between different species (I mean what might be a reason of that)
Author Response
We addressed all points raised by reviewer 2 in revisions. Specifically:
"L21 - ".. in a maggot mass, particularly with high maggot mass temperature" I do not understand this statement, please rewrite this clearly." -- this sentence was rewritten and "high temperature" was specified as greater than 40 degrees C; lines 22-23 of revision
"L193 - Please explain the meaning LT25, LT50, and LT75, and explain why did you choose these parameters" -- definitions and an explanation was added in lines 194-198 of the revision
"Discussion - please discuss more the differences between LT50 parameter between different species (I mean what might be a reason of that)" -- Species differences are likely associated with metabolic differences among species. We indicated this with some additional text, lines 269-271 of the revision
Author Response File: 
Author Response.docx
