Influence of diets on the rearing of predatory flies of housefly larvae

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the survival, development time and morphological measures of immature Ophyra aenescens and Ophyra albuquerquei on different diets. Different proportions of protein and carbohydrates were offered for each species in 10 vials containing 30 eggs each. The vials were placed in a germination chamber at 30°C, relative humidity above 75% and photoperiod of 12 hours. Every day a vial was removed and mortality was evaluated and on the tenth day the length of the cephalic-pharyngeal skeleton (EC) and body size (G) of larvae that survived were evaluated. Survival was higher in diets with more protein (P<0.001). Between the species, mortality was more pronounced in O. albuquerquei in all diets (P<0.001). The EC (P<0.01) and G (P<0.01) showed the same sizes in the diets with higher protein content. For the production of pupae of these species, the diet with more protein and fewer components is more appropriate, and the production is higher in O. aenescens than in O. albuquerquei.