Nutritional Aspects of Oogenesis in the Flies Phormia regina and Sarcophaga bullata

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Abstract
Most previous authors who studied the effects of nutritional factors on oogenesis in flies used methods which emphasized full development, while our methods also revealed the effect on ongoing stages of development. We studied two species, Phormia regina, which on sugar alone produced no yolk deposition, and Sarcophaga bullata, where sugar meals led to beginning yolk deposition (incipient autogeny). Full or incipient autogeny occurs widely in flies and has been generally overlooked. It varies considerably with species, strain, larval rearing, and adult condition. In S. bullata, diminishing size leads to a smaller number of ovarioles with normal-sized eggs. The response to certain protein preparations, in addition to sugar, seems surprisingly variable among preparations, species, and strain. In P. regina, feeding a purified protein alone leads only to initial yolk deposition, suggesting an effect of the nature of a trigger. The addition of a potassium salt to the purified protein leads to full development. In S. bullata, where sugar leads to initial yolk deposition, purified protein has no further effect. Full development requires protein plus a vitamin and salt mixture. Potassium ion alone does not suffice. Our findings suggest that the nutritional control of oogenesis in flies occurs in two distinct steps, the first leading to initial yolk deposition and the second to maturity.

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