The Accumulation of Age Pigment by the Fleshfly, Sarcophaga Bullata Parker (Diptera: Sarcophagidae).

Abstract

A technique is described for extracting, characterizing and quantifying the age pigment lipofuscin in the fleshfly Sarcophaga bullata. Accumulation of this pigment in the larvae is a linear function of time, some is disposed of at the pupal stage, then linear-function accumulation resumes in adults. Assay of this pigment may yield a technique for aging insects if it can be applied to field populations.