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The screw‐worm fly Chrysomya bezziana villeneuve (Diptera: Calliphoridae) in a sterile insect release trial in Papua New Guinea
Author(s) -
Spradbery J. P.,
Tozer R. S.,
Robb J. M.,
Cassells P.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
population ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.819
H-Index - 59
eISSN - 1438-390X
pISSN - 1438-3896
DOI - 10.1007/bf02513211
Subject(s) - calliphoridae , cochliomyia hominivorax , sterile insect technique , biology , mating , veterinary medicine , zoology , toxicology , pest analysis , horticulture , botany , larva , medicine
Summary The feasibility of the sterile insect release method (SIRM) was tested against natural populations of the Old World screw‐worm fly, Chrysomya bezziana in the Musa Valley, Papua New Guinea. Sterile mating frequencies were determined from egg masses laid by native females on wounded, sentinel cattle. The aerial release of sterilised puparia resulted in low frequencies of sterile matings and few trap recaptures of released material. The release of chilled adult flies resulted in higher frequencies of sterile matings and many trap recaptures. The mean density of males released was 230 males per km 2 per week over a target area of 361 km 2 (48% of the valley). Sterile masses were first detected 2 weeks after the release of chill flies commenced, reaching a weekly peak of 33% after 5 weeks of releases with 15% of egg masses found to be sterile during the final month. The levels of sterile matings achieved in this trial were similar to comparable SIRM studies made in the USA, Mexico and Guatemala to control the New World screw‐worm fly, Cochliomyia hominivorax .