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ARS Home » Plains Area » Lincoln, Nebraska » Agroecosystem Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #332506
Title: Augmenting laboratory rearing of stable fly (diptera: muscidae) larvae with ammoniacal salts

Author
item Friesen, Kristina
item Berkebile, Dennis
item Zhu, Junwei - Jerry
item Taylor, David

Submitted to: Journal of Insect Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/5/2016
Publication Date: 1/28/2017
Publication URL: https://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/5763075
Citation: Friesen, K.M., Berkebile, D.R., Zhu, J.J., Taylor, D.B. 2017. Augmenting laboratory rearing of stable fly (diptera: muscidae) larvae with ammoniacal salts. Journal of Insect Science. 17/1. doi:10.1093/jisesa/iew119.

Interpretive Summary: Stable flies are serious pests of livestock whose immature stages develop in fermenting vegetative materials, often high in ammonium. In addition, larval stable flies are highly attracted to the odor of ammonium. We examined the effects of augmenting our standard stable fly larval diet with different ammonium salts. The addition of ammonium carbonate to the larval media improved larval survival two-fold with no effect on pupal size. Improved survival increases the efficiency of rearing stable flies for research purposes and reduces the genetic bottleneck frequently associated with laboratory colonies of insects. In addition, these results provide use with a better understanding of the characteristics making a substrate conducive for stable fly larval development.

Technical Abstract: Stable flies are blood feeding parasites and serious pests of livestock. The immature stages develop in decaying materials which frequently have high ammonium content. We added various ammonium salts to our laboratory stable fly rearing medium and measured their effect on size and survival as well as the physical properties of the used media. The addition of ammonium hydroxide, ammonium phosphate and ammonium sulfate reduced larval survival. These compounds decreased pH and increased ammonium content of the used media. Ammonium bicarbonate had no effect on pH and marginally increased ammonium while increasing survival twofold. The optimal level of ammonium bicarbonate was 50'g (0.63'mol) per pan. Larval survival decreased when pH was outside the range of 8.5 to 9.0