Ecological Entomology (2019) 44, 690-701

Steve B.S. Baleba, Christopher W. Weldon, Daniel Masiga, Baldwyn Torto and Merid N. Getahun (2019)
Larval experience of stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans Linneaus, 1758 (Diptera: Muscidae) does not influence oviposition preference in gravid females
Ecological Entomology 44 (5), 690-701
Abstract: 1. Hopkins' host selection principle (HHSP) proposes that, in holometabolous insects, gravid females prefer to oviposit on their developmental substrate. This hypothesis is widely explored in phytophagous insects, but few studies have considered blood-feeding insects. In this study, the HHSP was tested using the haematophagous stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans (Diptera: Muscidae). Using no-choice and two-choice tests, the study first sought to demonstrate whether S. calcitrans larvae recognise their rearing substrate.
2. It was found that when a rearing substrate is offered to S. calcitrans larvae singly (no-choice) or associated with a non-rearing substrate (two-choice), they were able to recognise the substrate in which they developed. This ability disappeared when larvae were transferred to another substrate for 5 h.
3. Next, using oviposition bioassays, it was investigated whether information gathered by pre-imaginal stages during their development can persist into the adult stages after metamorphosis. It was hypothesised that gravid females emerging from clean and uncleaned pupae reared on sheep and camel dung would still prefer to lay on their rearing substrate. The results revealed that gravid females did not prefer to oviposit on their developmental substrate. In addition, failure to recognise and prefer their developmental substrate was found in gravid females that had emerged from puparia that were cleaned as well as those contaminated with sheep dung.
4. It is concluded that S. calcitrans adult preference is not influenced by their offspring's experience. Overall, the HHSP was not supported by our study, suggesting that this principle may not apply to generalist insects characterised by high plasticity in oviposition substrate acceptance.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Christopher W. Weldon, Baldwyn Torto, Merid N. Getahun, Steve B.S. Baleba

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Stomoxys calcitrans