Caloric reserves in natural populations of a blackfly, Simulium decorum (Diptera: Simuliidae), and a deerfly, Chrysops ater (Diptera: Tabanidae)

The immature stages of Simulium decorum and Chrysops ater were collected in northern New Hampshire in 1982 and reared in the laboratory to describe follicular development, quantify total available calorific reserves and determine adult lifespan. Females of both species produced eggs without blood-meals or sucrose solutions during the first ovarian cycle. Differences in mean fecundity (mean range 152-215) were noted for C. ater. Available reserves for females of S. decorum up to 4 h or 24 h after emergence were 7 times those of males. There were no significant differences for C. ater. Although adults of both sexes utilized stored reserves for survival early in the adult stage, sugars greatly enhanced their lifespan.