Effect of the developmental state of the host guinea-pig on the feeding activity of the tsetse fly Glossina pallidipes Aust.

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Individuals of Glossina pallidipes Aust. were reared separately on five developmental categories of guinea-pigs (infants, suckling mothers, pregnant females, mature virgin females, and mature males), from the time of adult emergence until they died, at 22±1°C and 40±5%r.h. More than 70% of the tsetse flies reared on infant guinea-pigs or on suckling mothers died within the first 10 days, before they reached sexual maturity. Of those reared on mature male guinea-pigs, 50% lived for more than 50 days.Pregnant female and mature male guinea-pigs were the most favoured hosts for tsetse feeding: more than 90% of the flies exposed to these two classes of hosts succeeded in feeding, while only 61%, 70%, and 76%, respectively, of those exposed to infants, suckling mothers, and mature virgin females actually fed.