Abstract

Reproductive potential was assessed for stable fly cohorts fed cattle, chicken, or horse blood. Flies provided chicken blood oviposited 20% more eggs per day than did those fed cattle or horse blood. However, flies provided cattle or horse blood were fecund 50% longer. When both egg viability and number of eggs produced were considered, lifetime reproductive potential was almost twice as high for flies fed cattle or chicken blood than for flies fed horse blood. Maternal investment, which took egg production and volume into account, was higher in cohorts fed cattle blood (70 mm3) when compared with the other treatments (chicken = 54 mm3, horse = 55 mm3). This is the first report of stable flies producing viable eggs after feeding on bird blood. Results from this study in addition to field observations indicate that stable fly interactions with birds may be limited to relatively low risk scenarios.

Links

Publisher Full Text

Authors

Friesen KM, Johnson GD

Institution

Department of Animal and Range Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA. kristina.friesen@ars.usda.gov

Source

Journal of medical entomology 49:3 2012 May pg 461-6

MeSH

Animals
Blood
Cattle
Chickens
Diptera
Female
Fertility
Horses
Host Specificity
Oviparity

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article

Language

eng

PubMed ID

22679851