The respiratory metabolism of tsetse fly puparia in relation to fat consumption

Abstract

Puparia ofGlossina austeniNewst. andG. morsitansWestw. contain similar quantities of chloroform-soluble substances (referred to as fat) in relation to their nonfatty dry weight at the beginning of puparial life. However, adultG. austeniemerge from their puparia with significantly larger fat reserves thanG. morsitansafter development at 25°C. This obvious difference in the rate of fat consumption by puparia of the two species is not accompanied by differences in the rate of oxygen consumption, neither do respiratory quotients explain the difference. It is therefore concluded that some substrate other than fat may be used as a supplementary energy source inG. austeni, since there appears to be no species difference in the composition of fat. Thus the calculation of an oxygen equivalence of fat for tsetse flies is invalid for different species and may also vary within a species depending upon the temperature at which development proceeds.