Culturing Haematobia exigua de Meijere (Diptera: Muscidae) in the Laboratory

Abstract

Methods to establish buffalo fly Haematobia exigua in the laboratory without access to a bovine host are described. Adult flies were kept at 32 ± 1° and 70‐80% RH in cardboard cylinders with netted tops, the cylinder base resting on a damp cloth‐covered tray. Flies were fed abattoir‐collected bovine blood (containing sodium citrate and an antibiotic) on cotton pads via the netting. A food supplement and sugar were provided. Eggs were laid on the cloth base or directly onto dung or dung‐based medium. Eggs/larvae were washed off the cloth and filtered onto organdie, numbers estimated and put on medium stored at 25 ± 1° on sand. Pupae weighed 2.45‐4.22 mg and were washed from both sand and medium 8‐9 d after egg lay. the life cycle took 18‐21 d from adult to adult and 11‐14 d from egg to adult. Successful emergence of adults from pupae increased from 10% in initial trials to 87% in the fifth generation (F5) and egg fertility reached 57% (F3). Adults lived for 2‐3 weeks and continued to lay eggs from the 4th day after commencement of blood feeding until death. Copyright © 1995, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved