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

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.