Laboratory-Rearing
Techniques for Tephritid fruit flies
in
Pacific Islands Countries and Territories
Rearing facilities
CONTENTS OF ON-LINE REARING GUIDELINES:
Introduction
Fruit collecting and colony establishment
Rearing
facilities
Requirements
for adult flies
Egging
Rearing
larvae
Pupae
Quality
control and recording procedures
Rearing facilities
The maintenance of fruit fly laboratory colonies requires a secure area (room or building) with natural lighting although facilities should be supplemented with artificial lighting, usually in the form of 1 or 2 banks of fluorescent tube lighting. Artificial lighting should be attached to a time switch to ensure a 'natural' dawn and dusk, which is important for mating of most species. Thus, lights should turn on about one hour after dawn and turn off one hour before dusk. B. kirki in Tonga, however, responds better to longer days and very strong lighting. Some species mate during the day (e.g. B. melanotus and B. psidii) and perform better under natural light with added artificial lighting.
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| Rearing facilities in Federated States of Micronesia (left and Fiji Islands (right) (Photos: L. Leblanc) | |
The area must be secure from outside agents such as rats, and all efforts should be made to exclude ants and Drosophila species (vinegar flies) from the rearing room, thus fine insect screening should cover all windows and entrances. The internal area must have large benches that are ant-proof, which is usually achieved by placing water or oil traps under the bench legs. The whole area must be completely free of pesticide contamination or spray drift at all times. The area should have a temperature range of about 25-28°C. This may require air conditioning especially if temperatures exceed 30°C. Some countries require heating in winter to maintain an optimum temperature range.
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Page updated on: 18 October, 2002