Screwworm Flies1 for Sterile-Male Releases: Laboratory Observations of the Quality of Newer Candidate Strains

Abstract
The longevity and mating behavior of 6 Texas and Mexico strains of screwworms, Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel), were evaluated in the laboratory. None showed any unacceptable degree of laboratory adaptation at the time of testing. The mating behavior of the 3 strains that had the widest geographical origin (Texas, Sonora, Northern Mexico) was more desirable than that of the other strains (Victoria, Múzquiz, Durango).