Effect of Different Levels of Illumination on the Life Cycle of the Face Fly12

Abstract

During the first attempts by other investigators to establish laboratory colonies of the face fly, Musca autumnalis DeGeer, it appeared that the illumination level might have some influence upon successful colonization. Research by Fales et al. (1961), the first to successfully establish a laboratory colony in the United States, indicated that a high level of illumination was necessary for rearing the face fly indoors. If this were so, it was desirable to determine whether colonies could be maintained under lower levels of illumination and, if so, the effect upon the fly’s life cycle. To evaluate this point, face flies were reared under different levels of illumination and their life cycles compared.