Ecological Genetics of the Screwworm Fly, Cochliomyia hominivorax (Diptera: Calliphoridae) and Its Bearing on the Quality Control of Mass-reared Insects 1

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Abstract
Electrophoretic variants at five loci have been studied in laboratory and factory (mass-production) adult screwworm flies. The pattern of genetic changes observed in several factory strains is very similar, but these changes differ from those which occur in smaller laboratory populations. Genetic variation in all colonies, however, decreases with colonization time. The most dramatic change occurred at the α-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase locus. This enzyme serves a key role in energy flow during flight and its activity is sensitive to temperature changes. An allele which is rare in natural Texas populations consistently becomes fixed, or nearly so, in each strain reared under factory conditions. These genetic changes are due to conditions peculiar to the factory, i.e., rearing at constant high temperatures, selection for rapid development time and reduced flight activity. The use of electrophoresis to measure genetic changes in ecologically important proteins as a quality control monitoring program is proposed.