Investigations into the behaviour of the house fly, Musca domestica L. (Diptera: musicidae), towards chemical and visual stimuli, in relation to control in intensive animal rearing units
Investigations into the behaviour of the house fly, Musca domestica L. (Diptera: musicidae), towards chemical and visual stimuli, in relation to control in intensive animal rearing units
The attractive responses of the house fly to chemical and visual components of toxic targets were investigated in caged-layer deep-pit poultry houses. The female sex pheromone, (Z)-9-tricosene, was the most effective compound tested at eliciting attraction. Targets impregnated with (Z)-9-tricosene, either technical grade or a 40% w/v micro-encapsulated formulation, consistently produced significantly greater catch rates of M. domestica than control targets over a period of 24 weeks. Pheromone baited targets caught significantly more males than females. However, the number of female house flies attracted was also significantly increased compared to catches at control targets. Field trials were subsequently conducted to investigate the effect of modifying the visual components of tricosene-impregnated targets.
The results indicated that both contrast and colour were potentially important in modifying house fly behaviour towards targets, but the lighting conditions in the poultry units can profoundly affect these responses. Trials involving the use of different protein containing baits failed to demonstrate significant increases in the number of female M. domestica attracted to the pheromone baited targets. In an attempt to identify female specific attractants, laboratory investigations of potential oviposition attractants and male produced volatiles were conducted. Oviposition bioassays suggested that the chicken manure volatile hexanal may produce attraction of gravid females. However, the attempt to identify possible female attractants produced by male M. domestica was unsuccessful. The implications of these results were discussed in relation to house fly control strategies in intensive animal rearing units.
University of Southampton
1997
Chapman, Jason Wayne
(1997)
Investigations into the behaviour of the house fly, Musca domestica L. (Diptera: musicidae), towards chemical and visual stimuli, in relation to control in intensive animal rearing units.
University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis.
Record type:
Thesis
(Doctoral)
Abstract
The attractive responses of the house fly to chemical and visual components of toxic targets were investigated in caged-layer deep-pit poultry houses. The female sex pheromone, (Z)-9-tricosene, was the most effective compound tested at eliciting attraction. Targets impregnated with (Z)-9-tricosene, either technical grade or a 40% w/v micro-encapsulated formulation, consistently produced significantly greater catch rates of M. domestica than control targets over a period of 24 weeks. Pheromone baited targets caught significantly more males than females. However, the number of female house flies attracted was also significantly increased compared to catches at control targets. Field trials were subsequently conducted to investigate the effect of modifying the visual components of tricosene-impregnated targets.
The results indicated that both contrast and colour were potentially important in modifying house fly behaviour towards targets, but the lighting conditions in the poultry units can profoundly affect these responses. Trials involving the use of different protein containing baits failed to demonstrate significant increases in the number of female M. domestica attracted to the pheromone baited targets. In an attempt to identify female specific attractants, laboratory investigations of potential oviposition attractants and male produced volatiles were conducted. Oviposition bioassays suggested that the chicken manure volatile hexanal may produce attraction of gravid females. However, the attempt to identify possible female attractants produced by male M. domestica was unsuccessful. The implications of these results were discussed in relation to house fly control strategies in intensive animal rearing units.
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Published date: 1997
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Local EPrints ID: 463236
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/463236
PURE UUID: edc20ddd-e483-4d96-b9ec-b684d6e8880c
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Date deposited: 04 Jul 2022 20:47
Last modified: 04 Jul 2022 20:47
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Author:
Jason Wayne Chapman
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