STERILISATION OF THE AUSTRALIAN SHEEP BLOWFLY, LUCILIA CUPRINA (WIEDEMANN) (DIPTERA: CALLIPHORIDAE) BY GAMMA RADIATION

Abstract

Pupae of L. cuprina irradiated 1 day before emergence were completely sterilised by 5 krad. A dose of 3 krad which produced infecundity in females caused ca 98% sterility in males and the competitiveness of those males was 80%. Irradiation in nitrogen gave no significant increase in competitiveness. When sterile and untreated flies of both sexes were allowed to mate there was no evidence of assortative mating and the mating propensity of irradiated males was not less than that of untreated males. Copyright © 1983, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved