Attractancy of Inoculated and Incubated Bovine Blood Fractions to Screwworm Flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae): Role of Bacteria1

Abstract

Olfactometer tests in the laboratory with bacteria-contaminated citrated whole bovine blood, bacteria-inoculated sterile citrated whole blood, defibrinated blood, and blood plasma indicated that the attractancy of these materials to screwworm flies, Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel), resulted from the bacteria and/or from the compounds produced by them. Aseptically drawn blood incubated at 37°C for 7 days was no more attractive than unincubated blood held at 5°C. Ranking of attractiveness was bacteria-inoculated sterile defibrinated blood>bacteria-inoculated citrated whole blood>bacteria-inoculated plasma>sterile-incubated defibrinated blood distilled water.