The Effect of 5-Fluorouracil on the Viability of House Fly Eggs1

Abstract

When house flies (Musca domestica L.) were fed a diet containing 5-f1uorouraeil-2-C14 for 36 to 48 hours after emergence, a significant quantity of the antimetabolite, or a metabolic product, was incorporated into their eggs. The amount of radioactive material incorporated into the eggs was the highest in eggs deposited during the first day of oviposition. The viability of the eggs was very low during the first 4 days after the start of oviposition, but after the fourth day the viability increased as the amount of detectable radioactivity in the eggs decreased.