Influence of adult diet on biological parameters of the housefly, Musca domestica L. (Diptera: Muscidae)

Abstract

Abstract Background Housefly (Musca domestica L. 1758) larvae are used in various parts of the world for animal feeding either by exposing substrates for natural oviposition or in industrial systems involving an adult rearing unit to produce eggs that are then placed in a substrate suitable for larval development. In order to develop M. domestica rearing system in Benin, effects of five types of food (pineapple, papaya, banana, honey, and a mixture of milk + sugar) on some biological parameters (female fecundity, adult mortality, egg hatching, pupation, and emergence time and rates) have been evaluated. Results Flies fed with pineapple and milk + sugar showed the highest fecundity (respectively 321 and 325 eggs per female within 10 days). Adult mortality rates decreased significantly with flies fed with honey (27% in 10 days) and milk + sugar (37%) compared to flies fed on local fruits (57 to 62%). Only minor differences were observed between the five foods in egg hatching, pupation and emergence rates. Conclusion This study showed that pineapple can be used to feed M. domestica instead of the conventional and more expensive milk + sugar mixture without major impact on the efficiency of M. domestica rearing.