Productivity of Glossina austeni Newst. maintained on lop-eared rabbits

Abstract

A life-table and age-specific fecundity schedule are given for females of Glossina austeni Newst. maintained on lop-eared rabbits. From these the innate capacity for increase in numbers (τm) is calculated, from two sets of data, as 0.0166 and 0.0155 per day, respectively. These values are better than previously obtained for Glossina and it is concluded that as such they were mainly due to the excellent nutrition of the flies. A colony in which all female offspring produced are added to the breeding stock is referred to as being in the ‘expanding phase’. The stable age distribution that would be established in a rabbit-fed colony of G. austeni in the expanding phase and the expected rate of increase in numbers of the colony when the stable age distribution exists are calculated from the value of τm.The characteristics of a colony of G. austeni in the ‘stationary phase’, when only those offspring required to maintain the colony at a constant size are retained, are described. It is concludef that a stationary colony of y adult flies would have a disposable output per week of 0.277y young adult males and 0.233y young adult females. Some implications of these findings in relation to the sterible male techinque for tsetse control are briefly discussed.