Publication Type

Journal Article

Journal Name

Journal of Chemical Ecology

Publication Date

9-1-1993

Abstract

Tsetse flies (Diptera: Glossinidae:Glossina) mature their offspring in utero, giving birth to mature larvae that burrow into soil and pupariate. During the hot dry seasons, puparia of some species of tsetse are aggregated in areas of deep shade in dense thickets. We have confirmed the presence of a semiochemical from the prepupariation excretions of larvae of Glossina morsitans morsitans Westwood and report a similar semiochemical in Glossina morsitans centralis Machado. These semiochemicals are attractive to gravid females and result in the aggregation of puparia. Behavioral studies with G. m. centralis showed that a higher percentage of females larviposited over moist sand conditioned by the anal exudate of larvae. Electroantennogram analyses of extracts of sand conditioned by G. m. centralis and G. m. morsitans confirmed the presence of olfactory receptors on the antennae for the semiochemicals. Both subspecies responded to extracts of the semiochemicals of the other, with G. m. morsitans more responsive to lower concentrations of extract of G. m. centralis than the converse. © 1993 Plenum Publishing Corporation.

Keywords

breeding sites, Diptera, Glossina morsitans centralis, Glossina morsitans morsitans, Glossinidae, larviposition, semiochemicals, tsetse flies

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