REDUCTION IN THE NUTRITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR OÖGENESIS DUE TO HIGH CONCENTRATIONS OF CHOLESTEROL IN THE LARVAL DIET OF THE STABLE FLY, STOMOXYS CALCITRANS (DIPTERA: MUSCIDAE)

Abstract

AbstractFemale stable flies, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.), from larvae reared on the standard CSMA (Chemical Specialties Manufacturing Association) medium required 5 days of blood feeding before producing their first batch of eggs. When the larval medium was supplemented with 1 or 2% cholesterol, resultant females were able to produce mature eggs after only 4 days of blood feeding. Females from larvae reared on the 2% cholesterol-supplemented medium had slight but significant precocious follicular growth at the time of emergence from the puparium. When blood feeding was restricted, the size at which follicular growth ceased was consistently higher in females fed the cholesterol-supplemented diets as compared with control females.