Mass Rearing of Root Maggots Under Controlled Environmental Conditions: Seed-Corn Maggot, Hylemya cilicrura; Bean Seed Fly, H. liturata; Euxesta notata; and Chaetopsis Sp.1

Abstract

A technique suitable for mass rearing the seed-corn maggot, Hylemya cilicrura (Rondani), under controlled environmental conditions is described. With minor modifications, the procedure is suitable also for rearing the larvae of the bean seed fly, H. liturata (Meigen); Euxesta notata (Wiedemann); and Chaetopsis sp. Adults were fed on water, honey, yeast hydrolysate, brewers’ yeast, and soya Hour. Lanval food consisted of fish meal for first-instar larvae and an artificial diet for the later stages. Pupae from several containers were washed from the soil and placed in a single container for emergence. The H. cilicrura and H. liturata were reared in controlled environmental chambers programmed at a day temperature of 74 (16 hr), a night temperature of 70 (8 hr), 16-hr photoperiod, and 50-75% RII. The life cycle averaged 19-30 days, and egg production averaged 268.1 eggs per female. The procedure is suitable for production of at least 3000 ad nits per week, and both susceptible and resistant strains were reared successfully. With proper environmental conditions, strains not required for immediate use ran be placed in diapause, E. notata and Chaetopsis spwere reared with a similar technique but at 80°F.