Parity and sugar feeding in Atylotus bicolor (Diptera: Tabanidae)

During 1983-85, females of A. bicolor were collected in dry-ice baited canopy traps at 4 sites in Connecticut. Parity and stage of follicle development were determined for 52 females, all of which completed at least 1 gonotrophic cycle and had terminal ovarian follicles in early stages of development. Nearly half of the females contained detectable amounts of fructose. It is suspected that females produce eggs without blood-meals during the first ovarian cycle and metabolize sugars for survival and dispersal.