Population control in the Australian sheep blowfly, Lucilia cuprina, by the release of female-borne chemosterilant. II.* Sterilization under field cage conditions

Abstract

Females of the Australian sheep blowfly, Lucilia cuprina (Wiedemann), topically treated with the chemosterilant N,N'-hexamethylene-bis(1-aziridinecarboxamide), were liberated into large field cages containing untreated flies to determine if sterilizing doses of chemosterilant were transferred to untreated flies. Full sterility was induced in cages carrying equal numbers of untreated males, untreated females and females treated with 300 or 600 µg of chemosterilant. In other cages, one female treated with 600 µg of chemosterilant for every five untreated flies of each sex had a similar effect but lower levels of sterility were obtained with higher ratios of untreated to treated flies. Transfer of chemosterilant appeared to occur through contact during mating, attempted matings, and between flies of both sexes at the oviposition site.

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*Part I, Aust. J. Agric. Res., 25: 995 (1974).