Attraction of the housefly (Musca domestica L.).

Abstract

Ultraviolet (UV) light attracts more houseflies compared to green and white light. The attractiveness of UV light is not effected by its spectral composition. The number of flies attracted does not seem to change when a UV lamp is combined with moving elements, although the time spend on the lamp decreases.A few odours have been examined for their ability to attract houseflies. Hungry flies appeared to be attracted by the odour of manure, meat, fruit, and the diet they have been bred on. When the flies were well-fed, only the manure and tainted meat attracted female flies which were looking for a substrate to deposit their eggs. More odours will be examined for their ability to improve the attractiveness of the ultraviolet light trap.</p