Olfactory and Oviposition Responses of the House Fly to Domestic Manures, with Notes on an Autogenous Strain1

Abstract

The odor or odors in a manure that stimulate olfactory response of house flies, Musca domeslica L., were most effective during the first minute of exposure in an olfactometer. The responses of 2-, 4-, and 8-day-old flies, fed on sucrose and on protein, to the odors of 8 manures were not significantly different in olfactometer tests. Odor source taken from air passed over the surface of manure was not effective in eliciting a positive response in house flies, while an odor source taken from air passed through a mixture of water and manure was effective. In the olfactometer tests cow manure was the most attractive odor to house flies. Pig manure was the most favorable site for oviposition, strain of house flies that exhibit the phenomenon of autogeny was colonized. The preoviposition period of autogenolis house flies was more than twice as long as that of anautog-enolls flies. They laid fewer eggs, which were less viable, than the anautogenous strain.