Laboratory-Rearing
Techniques for Tephritid fruit flies
in
Pacific Islands Countries and Territories
Pupae
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
Pupating substrate
Larvae enter a post-feeding stage and commence ‘popping' or 'jumping' out of the diet trays. These larvae must be allowed to pupate in a moist substrate, normally a layer (>1 cm thick) of moistened, sterilised, untreated sawdust placed in the bottom of the holding container about 2 days before 'jumping' begins. Thoroughly washed sand or fine vermiculite may also be used as a pupating substrate. Before use, the sawdust should be sieved to retain only fine particles for easy pupal sorting. Sawdust or vermiculite must be heat-sterilised before use (120°C for at least 2 hours), or frozen overnight, to kill mites.
Collection and storage conditions
Pupae are collected when at least a few days old by gently sieving the sawdust, and are stored in moistened sawdust for eclosion. A small container should be layered with 1 cm of moist sawdust. Pupae are then added and lightly covered with more moistened sawdust. Pupae should be held at about 25-28°C. Relative humidity should in the 70-80% range, high enough to prevent pupal water loss. Pupae are normally placed in new cages 2-3 days before eclosion.
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| Moist
sawdust containing fruit fly pupae (left) and pupae placed inside cage for
adult fly emergence (right) (photos: L. Leblanc) |
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larvae
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Page updated on: 17 October, 2002