Abstract
Gamma irradiation of screwworm, Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel), embryos was used to truncate the life cycle at the prepupal stage. Egg hatch and larval survival were not reduced by dosages ≤8 kilorads (kr). Pupariation and adult emergence were inhibited by dosages ≥2.8 and 1.2 kr, respectively. Larvae, irradiated as embryos with dosages ≤8 kr, successfully infested wounded sheep, although larval weight was lower than normal. A dosage of 5.8 kr was sufficient to prevent pupariation, while permitting larval development to the third instar. Truncation of screwworm development permits the use of artificially wounded and infested animals for screwworm population surveillance and research without danger of accidentally releasing fertile screwworms.
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