Rearing of Texas Tabanidae (Diptera). II. Mass production of Tabanus nigrovittatus Macquart eggs and larvae

From 60 to 80% of 3000-5000 females of Tabanus nigrovittatus Macq. taken in 5 weekly collections at West Galveston Bay, Texas, in June-July 1978 fed through a lamb-intestine membrane on bovine blood kept at about 100 deg F and ATP (adenosine 5’-triphosphate) was added at concentrations of 10-3 to 10-4 M. Survival, fecundity and fertility were very high in gonotrophically young females taken from this population in late June and early July. About 30 000 newly hatched larvae were obtained from eggs kept in the laboratory under ambient conditions (75 plus or minus 5 deg F and 65 plus or minus 5% RH). Larvae reared on larvae of the stable fly [Stomoxys calcitrans (L.)] in a 2:1 mixture of peat and sand became fully developed in 6-8 weeks but then entered diapause and emerged in April of the following year. Recovery of up to 8 adults per 800 cm3 of substrate suggested that cannibalism was not sufficient to inhibit the rearing of the tabanid en masse. No evidence of mating was observed.