The Oxygen Consumption of Flies During Flight

Abstract

A method is described by which the oxygen uptake of the blow-fly, Lucilia sericata Mg., was measured during flight manometrically in a Warburg and in a Barcroft type of apparatus. The average oxygen consumption in air for all the flies used was 95·580 c.c. per g. wet weight per hour. When flying in pure oxygen the rate of oxygen consumption showed no significant difference; in oxygen-nitrogen mixtures, containing 10 and 5% oxygen, the rate was considerably less than in air.