Published online by Cambridge University Press: 19 September 2011
By employing histological techniques, it was possible to identify 11 stages of oocyte development in adult female Sarcophaga tibialis (Diptera: Sarcophagidae). Stages 1–4 were represented by the differentiation of the oocyte and the acquisition of the follicular envelope. Stages 5–9 were characterized by a considerable growth of the oocyte which occurred due to an enormous deposition of yolk in the cytoplasm, while the follicle cells were typified by large intercellular spaces. Descriptions are given of the follicle cell degeneration during stages 10 and 11, which end with membrane formation around the mature egg.