Influence of age on the electroantennogram response of the female blowfly (Phormia regina) (Diptera: Calliphoridae)

By means of electroantennogram recording techniques, we have monitored the antennal olfactory sensitivity, from the time of eclosion until complete egg maturation, of female blowflies (Phormia regina) fed either a protein diet or a protein free one. The tested stimuli were swormlure-4 (SL-4) which is a potent lure for calliphorid flies, 1-hexanol as a reference stimulus and air as a control. After taking the electroantennograms, egg and ovarian development were evaluated. Stimulation with SL-4 and 1-hexanol evoked electroantennograms increasing in amplitude with age regardless of whether or not flies were fed protein during the first 5 days of adult life. In the protein-fed flies eggs were fully developed whereas those of the no-protein group remained undeveloped. The peak olfactory sensitivity occurs at a time when the female fly begins to search for an oviposition substrate. © 1990

Estudo comparado do desenvolvimento pós-embrionário de Cochliomyia macellaria (Fabricius) (Diptera, Calliphoridae) em duas dietas à base de carne, em laboratório Comparative studyy of post-embryonic development of Cochliomyia macellaria(Fabricius) (Diptera, Calliphoridae) under two meat diets, in laboratory

<abstract language="eng">The influence of a diet based on putrid horse meat over the post-embryonic development of Cochliomyia macellaria (Fabricius, 1775) under controlled conditions (UR 65 10% and 14 hours of photophase) was compared with the results obtained using a meat broth diet to which other sources of animal and vegetable protein were added. The flies were maintained at 30ºC, from egg until mature larvae spontaneously abandoned the diet. They were then transfered to a climatized chamber at 27ºC. The larvae and pupae viability and the weight of the mature larvae were significantly inferior, when a diet based on meat broth was used, even though the larvae period was significantly increased with this diet. This type of diet did not charge the time of development of the pupae. The inoculation of the egg mass directly over the diet was recommend, instead of the technique in which the egg masses are transfered to humid filter paper, followed by the handling of the recently ecloded larvae