Media Containing Liquefied Nutrients for Mass-Rearing Larvae of the Screw-Worm1

Abstract

Several formulations of liquefied gross foodstuffs were tested as media for larvae of Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel). Larvae grew best when the starting medium (fed for first 18 hours) contained 2–3% dried whole chicken egg, 5–6% dried whole bovine blood, and 1.6–4% calf suckle dissolved or suspended in water with 0.2% formalin; the intermediate diet (fed the next 24 hr) contained the same ingredients except that 0.5% sucrose replaced the whole egg; and the finishing diet (fed the remainder of the development time) contained the same ingredients as the intermediate diet except that the sucrose was increased to 1%, and 3% dried cottage cheese was added. Larvae on this diet achieved final weights equal to or greater than those of larvae on fresh meat-blood diets.