Integration of insect sterility and insecticides for control of Glossina morsitans morsitans Westwood (Diptera: Glossinidae) in Tanzania. I. Production of tsetse flies for release

Abstract

AbstractA colony of Glossina morsitans morsitans Westw. was established in the laboratory in Tanga, Tanzania. After being expanded to the planned level of 60 000 flies, the stabilised colony was used to support a field trial using surplus males that were sterilised and released. The production system consisted of an adaptation of the in vivo rearing techniques developed at the Tsetse Research Laboratory, England. Goats were hosts for 90 % of the production; the balance was fed on rabbits. Techniques were developed to standardise the pupal off-take from stabilised colonies in each of three separate insectary units. Puparia were collected daily and kept separately until 52% emergence had occurred; these emerging flies, mostly females, were used to replenish the stock colony as needed. Further eclosion was prevented by chilling the remaining puparia (mostly males) quickly at 4°C and then storing at 10 ± 1°C for up to four days prior to irradiation and shipment to the field. About 68 % of the males produced were available for sterilisation. During the 15-month period of production in support of the field experiments, 1·3 million puparia were produced; 0·6 million of these puparia were released at a production cost of $220 per thousand.