Sugar-meal sources used by female black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae): a four-habitat study

Abstract

Adult black flies were sampled by sweep-netting vegetation in four habitats within Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario: Davies Bog, the airfield, deciduous habitat, and coniferous habitat. Sugars in the crops and midguts of female flies (n = 773) were tested by thin-layer chromatography to determine whether the flies had fed on nectar or homopteran honeydew. Melezitose and stachyose were used as honeydew-indicator sugars. For Simulium venustum, it was found that significantly fewer black flies (19%) from the airfield contained honeydew sugars than black flies from the other three sites (34% from Davies Bog; 36% from deciduous habitat; 25% from coniferous habitat). We argue that black flies will feed on nectar or honeydew according to availability.