Seasonal changes in characteristics of cattle dung as a resource for an insect in southwestern Australia

Abstract

AbstractThe value of cattle dung as a food resource for the bush fly Musca vetustissima (Walker) in the winter rainfall agricultural region of southwestern Australia was assessed by bioassay in the laboratory. The size (headwidth) of adult females was measured from flies reared on different samples of dung. Variation in size correlated with seasonal patterns of pasture growth, larger flies being produced during the growing season from autumn to spring. Size declined with senescence of annual pastures in late spring and early summer, occurring later in southern areas where the growing season was longer. After pasture senescence, dung from shorter growing season areas usually produced larger flies, apparently a result of the inverse relationship between digestibility of feed and length of growing season. Dung from irrigated perennial pastures never produced flies as large as that from annual pastures but generally high values were sustained during summer. Grazing of cereal stubble and feeding of hay in annual pasture areas during summer usually caused some increase in fly size. A spontaneous resurgence in the size of flies often occurred several weeks after pasture senescence and was attributed to more thorough digestion as a result of reduced intake of less palatable dry pasture.