Survival of Screw-Worm1 Pupae Exposed to Simulated Winter Temperatures from Selected Sites in Texas

Abstract
Climates of Mission, San Antonio, and Lubbock, Texas, were simulated in bioclimatic cabinets at Brownsville, Texas, to determine whether the screw-worm, Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel), might be increasing its cold-hardiness and extending its distribution beyond the known geographical range. The areas for which climates were simulated are in and adjoining the zone where sterile screw-worm flies were being released to eradicate the insect from the Southwestern United States. The coldest winters were simulated for Mission and San Antonio; the warmest winter was programmed for Lubbock. Test climates for each site were selected from weather data for 15–20 years. Screw-worms survived in the climates simulated for Mission and San Antonio but did not survive beyond the 6th week in the climate simulated for Lubbock.

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