FECES FEEDING BY ADULT PHORMIA-REGINA (DIPTERA, CALLIPHORIDAE) - IMPACT ON REPRODUCTION

Fresh beef liver, sugar, and five different types of faeces were evalu ated as supportive diets for egg development in the blowfly Phormia re gina. Females on a sugar diet were unable to develop follicles beyond stage 3, whereas liver proved to be the best diet for complete egg mat uration. Some faecal diets were unable to support egg maturation when fed upon for a short period of time; however, longer periods of feedin g produced complete egg maturation, The necessity to feed for longer p eriods of time in order to produce eggs on most of these diets was att ributed to their low protein content, Males, in a shorter period of ti me than females, obtained enough protein from faeces to activate the n euroendocrine system involved in mating.