Desenvolvimento de Ophyra albuquerquei Lopes (Diptera, Muscidae) em condições de laboratório / Development of Ophyra albuquerquei Lopes (Diptera, Muscidae) in laboratory conditions

ABSTRACT

Ophyra albuquerquei may often be a potential predator of Musca domestica Linnaeus, 1758 in poultry and pig houses in southern Brazil. Here we address the developmental period of immatures stages and their viability. To obtain eggs, larvae and pupae, a colony was established in the laboratory. Adult flies were fed on a diet comprising two parts dry milk, two parts sugar and one part fish flour. Larval diet comprised one part fish flour and one part sawdust and water. The eggs, larvae and pupae were incubated at 26° ± 1°C, 75 percent ± 10 percent R.H. and 12 h photoperiod. The egg to adult cycle took 573 h with a total viability of 64 percent. The shortest of the stages was the egg stage, which lasted about 20 h. The larval stage had the lowest viability (about 82 percent) and longest time interval (279 h). Overall, the results of this study show that O. albuquerquei can be readily maintained in the laboratory.