Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-q99xh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-22T18:46:29.420Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Immunological determination of predators of the bush fly, Musca vetustissima Walker (Diptera: Muscidae), in south-western Australia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

M. C. Calver ,
J. N. Matthiessen ,
G. P. Hall ,
J. S. Bradley  and
J. H. Lillywhite
M. C. Calver
Affiliation:
External Studies Unit, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150
J. N. Matthiessen
Affiliation:
CSIRO Division of Entomology, Private Bag, P.O. Wembley, Western Australia, 6014
G. P. Hall
Affiliation:
CSIRO Division of Entomology, Private Bag, P.O. Wembley, Western Australia, 6014
J. S. Bradley
Affiliation:
School of Environmental and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150
J. H. Lillywhite
Affiliation:
Mt Barker Senior High School, Mt Barker, Western Australia, 6324
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Six hundred and twelve anthropods from 11 families collected in and around cattle dung in south-western Australia were screened using a general antiserum against all developmental stages of Musca vetustissima Walker with gel precipitin and immunoelectroosmophoresis (IEO) tests. Positive results were found in Staphylinidae (65%), Histeridae (64%), Carabidae (12%), Dermaptera (21%) and Lycosidae (27%). The relative proportions of predator species varied in different sites, but three staphylinids (Leptacinus socius (Fauvel), Philonthus longicornis Stephens and P. subcingulatus MacLeay) and one histerid (Saprinus sp.) were widespread and numerous and consistently had a high proportion of positive results. Compared to precipitin tests, IEO was found to extend detection times for a single meal from two to five hours for small staphylinids and from 24 to 36 hours for larger carabids. In subsamples of P. subcingulatus and Saprinus sp. collected on the same day at one site, the relative proportions of positive results using IEO and gel precipitation, respectively, were 74 and 23% for P. subcingulatus and 95 and 53% for Saprinus sp.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Bulletin of Entomological Research , Volume 76 , Issue 1 , March 1986 , pp. 133 - 139
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1986

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Boreham, P. F. L. & Ohiagu, C. E. (1978). The use of serology in evaluating invertebrate prey-predator relationships: a review.—Bull. ent. Res. 68, 171–194.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Calver, M. C. (1984). A review of ecological applications of immunological techniques for diet analysis.—Aust. J. Ecol. 9, 19–25.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dempster, J. P. (1960). A quantitative study of the predators on the eggs and larvae of the broom beetle, Phytodecta olivacea Forster, using the precipitin test.—J. Anim. Ecol. 29, 149–167.Google Scholar
Feller, R. J. (1984). Dietary immunoassay of Ilyanassa obsoleta, the eastern mud snail.—Biol. Bull. mar. biol. Lab., Woods Hole 166, 96–102.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Greenstone, M. H. (1977). A passive haemagglutination inhibition assay for the identification of stomach contents of invertebrate predators.—J. appl. Ecol. 14, 457–464.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Healey, J. A. & Cross, T. F. (1975). Immunoelectroosmophoresis for serological identification of predators of the sheep tick Ixodes ricinus.—Oikos 26, 97–101.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hughes, R. D., Greenham, P. M., Tyndale-Biscoe, M. & Walker, J. M. (1972). A synopsis of observations on the biology of the Australian bushfly (Musca vetustissima Walker).—J. Aust. ent. Soc. 11, 311–331.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
MacFadden, P. (1980). Population studies of some Diptera in the Murdoch area.—78 pp. Hons. Thesis, Murdoch University, Western Australia.Google Scholar
Matthiessen, J. N. (1983). The seasonal distribution and characteristics of bush fly Musca vetustissima Walker populations in south-western Australia.—Aust. J. Ecol. 8, 383–394.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Onyeka, J. O. A. (1983). Studies on the natural predators of Culex pipiens L. and C. torrentium Martini (Diptera: Culicidae) in England.—Bull. ent. Res. 73, 185–194.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pickavance, J. R. (1970). A new approach to the immunological analysis of invertebrate diets.—J. Anim. Ecol. 39, 715–724.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ridsdill-Smith, T. J. & Hall, G. P. (1984). Beetles and mites attracted to fresh cattle dung in south-western Australian pastures.—Rep. Div. Ent. C.S.I.R.O. Aust. no. 34, 29 pp.Google Scholar
Summerlin, J. W., Bay, D. E., Harris, R. L., Russell, D. J. & Stafford, K. C., III (1982). Predation by four species of Histeridae (Coleoptera) on horn fly (Diptera: Muscidae).—Ann. ent. Soc. Am. 75, 675–677.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sutton, S. L. (1970). Predation on woodlice; an investigation using the precipitin test.—Entomologia exp. appl. 13, 279–285.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thomas, G. D. & Morgan, C. E. (1972). Field-mortality studies of the immature stages of the horn fly in Missouri.—Environ. Entomol. 1, 453–459.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thomas, G. D., Hall, R. D., Wingo, C. W., Smith, D. B. & Morgan, C. E. (1983). Field mortality studies of the immature stages of the face fly (Diptera: Muscidae) in Missouri.—Environ. Entomol. 12, 823–830.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tyndale-Biscoe, M., Wallace, M. M. H. & Morton, R. (1981). Arthropod-induced mortality in immature stages of the bush fly, Musca vetustissima Walker (Diptera: Muscidae).—Bull. ent. Res. 71, 681–690.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wallace, M. M. H., Tyndale-Biscoe, M. & Holm, E. (1979). The influence of Macrocheles glaber on the breeding of the Australian bushfly, Musca vetustissima in cow dung.—pp. 217–222 in Rodriguez, J. G. (Ed.). Recent advances in acarology. Volume 2.—569 pp. New York, Academic Press.Google Scholar
Wingo, C. W., Thomas, G. D., Clark, G. N. & Morgan, C. E. (1974). Succession and abundance of insects in pasture manure: relationship to face fly survival.—Ann. ent. Soc. Am. 67, 386–390.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wright, C. A. (1966). Experimental taxonomy; a review of some techniques and their applications.—Int. Rev. Gen. & Exp. Zool. 2, 1–43.CrossRefGoogle Scholar