EFFECT OF AGE AND NUTRITION ON THE RESPONSES OF FEMALE BLOWFLIES (PHORMIA REGINA) TO THE ODOUR FROM A PROTEINACEOUS SOURCE

Abstract

Female blowflies that had been fed either sucrose (S flies) or sucrose and yeast (SY flies) were tested individually for their responses to the odours from a range of concentrations of yeast. They showed a cyclical change in responsiveness. S flies were most responsive at 5 and 6 days old. SY flies were most responsive at 5, 6 and 8 days old. General levels of activity of the flies in the absence of specific odours did not show a cyclical change. The ages of greatest responsiveness corresponded with the days which would precede egg laying.

Behavior and Electrophysiological Response of Gravid and Non-Gravid Lucilia cuprina (Diptera: Calliphoridae) to Carrion-Associated Compounds

“…To produce gravid flies, full development of the ovaries was ensured by providing water, a mixture of milk powder and sugar (1:1) upon emergence, and liver paste from 4 to 8 d after emergence. However, this approach also raises the possibility of a confounding effect of nutritional history on the behavioral measurements (e.g., Bowdan 1982, Schultzhaus et al 2017. For this reason, we carried out a pilot experiment to test the effect of nutritional history on attraction behavior in L. cuprina: one group was fed with sugar plus water after emergence; the other group was fed with sugar plus milk powder plus water after emergence; both groups were given liver paste when the flies were 4-8 d old.…”