Name: laboratory rearing of stable flies and other muscoid diptera
Uploaded: 2018-08-03T12:30:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Laboratory Rearing of Stable Flies and Other Muscoid Diptera at JoVE.com

We would like to thank Anthony Weinhold and the numerous students who have worked with us over the years for technical support as well as suggestions for improving our insect rearing procedures.

1. Egg Collection (Figure 1)
<ol>
	<li>Prepare egging cup, place one end of cloth in ~500 mL beaker filled with warm (~40 &#176;C) water. Overlap the sides of the cup and fix with a rubber band. Fold the loose end of the cloth back over the top of the cup.</li>
	<li>Place egging cup in cage of 8&#8211;10 day old flies for ~2 h. Gravid female stable flies will oviposit on the cloth.</li>
	<li>Remove egging cup from cage and rinse eggs off of the egging cloth into a small pan with squeeze wa...

<ol>
	<li>Cook, D. F., Dadour, I. R., Keals, N. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Stable+fly,+house+fly+(Diptera:+Muscidae),+and+other+nuisance+fly+development+in+poultry+litter+associated+with+horticultural+crop+production.">Stable fly, house fly (Diptera: Muscidae), and other nuisance fly development in poultry litter associated with horticultural crop production.</a> J. Econ. Entomol. 92 (6), 1352-1357 (1999).</li><li>Dominghetti, T. F., de Barros, A. T., Soares, C. O., Can&#231;ado, P. H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Stomoxys+calcitrans+(Diptera:+Muscidae)+outbreaks:+current+situation+and+future+outlook+with+emphasis+on+Brazil.">Stomoxys calcitrans (Diptera: Muscidae) outbreaks: current situation and future outlook with emphasis on Brazil.</a> Rev. Bras. Parasitol. Vet. 24 (4), 387-395 (2015).</li><li>Sol&#243;rzano, J. -. A., Guilles, J., Bravo, O., Vargas, C., Gomez-Bonilla, Y., Bingham, G., Taylor, D. B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Biology+and+trapping+of+stable+flies+(Diptera:+Muscidae)+developing+in+pineapple+residues+(Ananas+comosus)+in+Costa+Rica.">Biology and trapping of stable flies (Diptera: Muscidae) developing in pineapple residues (Ananas comosus) in Costa Rica.</a> J. Insect Sci. 15 (1), 145 (2015).</li><li>Berry, I. L., Stage, D. A., Campbell, J. B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Populations+and+economic+impacts+of+stable+flies+on+cattle.">Populations and economic impacts of stable flies on cattle.</a> Trans. Am. Soc. Agric. Eng. 26, 873-877 (1983).</li><li>Taylor, D. B., Vreysen, J., Hendrichs, R., Cardoso Pereira, R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Area-wide+management+of+stable+flies.">Area-wide management of stable flies.</a> Area-wide management of insect pests. , (2017).</li><li>Bishopp, F. C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+stable+fly+(Stomoxys+calcitrans+L.),+an+important+live+stock+pest.">The stable fly (Stomoxys calcitrans L.), an important live stock pest.</a> J.Econ. Entomol. 6 (1), 112-126 (1913).</li><li>Hogsette, J. A., Ruff, J. P., Jones, C. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Stable+fly+biology+and+control+in+northwest+Florida.">Stable fly biology and control in northwest Florida.</a> J. Agric. Entomol. 4 (1), 1-11 (1987).</li><li>Lysyk, T., Kalischuk-Tymensen, L., Selinger, L., Lancaster, R., Wever, L., Cheng, K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Rearing+stable+fly+larvae+(Diptera:+Muscidae)+on+an+egg+yolk+medium.">Rearing stable fly larvae (Diptera: Muscidae) on an egg yolk medium.</a> J. Med. Entomol. 38, 382-388 (1999).</li><li>Romero, A., Broce, A., Zurek, L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Role+of+bacteria+in+the+oviposition+behaviour+and+larval+development+of+stable+flies.">Role of bacteria in the oviposition behaviour and larval development of stable flies.</a> Med. Vet. Entomol. 20, 115-121 (2006).</li><li>Glaser, R. W. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Rearing+flies+for+experimental+purposes+with+biological+notes.">Rearing flies for experimental purposes with biological notes.</a> J. Econ. Entomol. 17 (4), 486-496 (1924).</li><li>Melvin, R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Physiological+studies+on+the+effect+of+flies+and+fly+sprays+on+cattle.">Physiological studies on the effect of flies and fly sprays on cattle.</a> J. Econ. Entomol. 25 (6), 1151-1164 (1932).</li><li>Doty, A. E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Convenient+method+of+rearing+the+stable+fly.">Convenient method of rearing the stable fly.</a> J. Econ. Entomol. 30 (2), 367-369 (1937).</li><li>Bridges, A. C., Spates, G. E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Larval+medium+for+the+stable+fly+Stomoxys+calcitrans+(L.).">Larval medium for the stable fly Stomoxys calcitrans (L.).</a> Southwest. Entomol. 8 (1), 6-10 (1983).</li><li>Hogsette, J. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=New+diets+for+production+of+house+flies+and+stable+flies+(Diptera:+Muscidae)+in+the+laboratory.">New diets for production of house flies and stable flies (Diptera: Muscidae) in the laboratory.</a> J. Econ. Entomol. 85 (6), 2291-2294 (1992).</li><li>McGregor, W. S., Dreiss, J. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Rearing+stable+flies+in+the+laboratory.">Rearing stable flies in the laboratory.</a> J. Econ. Entomol. 48 (3), 327-328 (1955).</li><li>Goodhue, L. D., Cantrel, K. E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+use+of+vermiculite+in+medium+for+stable+fly+larvae.">The use of vermiculite in medium for stable fly larvae.</a> J. Econ. Entomol. 51 (2), 250 (1958).</li><li>Friesen, K., Berkebile, D. R., Zhu, J. J., Taylor, D. B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Augmenting+laboratory+rearing+of+stable+fly+(Diptera:+Muscidae)+larvae+with+ammoniacal+salts.">Augmenting laboratory rearing of stable fly (Diptera: Muscidae) larvae with ammoniacal salts.</a> J. Insect Sci. 17 (1), 1-6 (2017).</li><li>Berkebile, D. R., Weinhold, A. P., Taylor, D. B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+new+method+for+collecting+clean+stable+fly+(Diptera:Muscidae)+pupae+of+known+age.">A new method for collecting clean stable fly (Diptera:Muscidae) pupae of known age.</a> Southwest. Entomol. 34 (4), 469-476 (2009).</li><li>Champlain, R. A., Fisk, F. W., Dowdy, A. C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Some+improvements+in+rearing+stable+flies.">Some improvements in rearing stable flies.</a> J. Econ. Entomol. 47 (5), 940-941 (1954).</li><li>Zumpt, F. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=.">.</a> The stomoxyine biting flies of the world. , (1973).</li><li>Wienhold, B. J., Taylor, D. B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Substrate+properties+of+stable+fly+(Diptera:+Muscidae)+developmental+sites+associated+with+round+bale+hay+feeding+sites+in+eastern+Nebraska.">Substrate properties of stable fly (Diptera: Muscidae) developmental sites associated with round bale hay feeding sites in eastern Nebraska.</a> Environ. Entomol. 41 (2), 213-221 (2012).</li><li>Friesen, K., Berkebile, D. R., Wienhold, B. J., Durso, L., Zhu, J., Taylor, D. B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Environmental+parameters+associated+with+stable+fly+(Diptera:+Muscidae)+development+at+hay+feeding+sites.">Environmental parameters associated with stable fly (Diptera: Muscidae) development at hay feeding sites.</a> Environ. Entomol. 45 (3), 570-576 (2016).</li><li>Albuquerque, T. A., Zurek, L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Temporal+changes+in+the+bacterial+community+of+animal+feces+and+their+correlation+with+stable+fly+oviposition,+larval+development,+and+adult+fitness.">Temporal changes in the bacterial community of animal feces and their correlation with stable fly oviposition, larval development, and adult fitness.</a> Front. Microbiol. 5 (590), 1-9 (2014).</li><li>Bailey, D. L., Whitfield, T. L., LaBrecque, G. C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Laboratory+biology+and+techniques+for+mass+producing+the+stable+fly,+Stomoxys+calcitrans+(L.)+(Diptera:+Muscidae).">Laboratory biology and techniques for mass producing the stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.) (Diptera: Muscidae).</a> J. Med. Entomol. 12 (2), 189-193 (1975).</li><li>Smith, J. P., Hall, R. D., Thomas, G. D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Field+studies+on+mortality+of+the+immature+stages+of+the+stable+fly+(Diptera:+Muscidae).">Field studies on mortality of the immature stages of the stable fly (Diptera: Muscidae).</a> Environ. Entomol. 14 (6), 881-890 (1985).</li></ol>

Stable flies can be found developing in a broad variety of substrates in nature and can be reared in many types of media in the laboratory. We have used wood shavings and vermiculite as bulking agents. Vermiculite worked well, but made separating puparia from rearing medium difficult and was expensive (~$0.60/pan). Possibly because of the added rigor of separating puparia from the medium, eclosion was also lower with vermiculite, 57% vs. 75% for wood shavings. Cottonwood shavings were comparable to vermiculite, but at ti...

Stable flies, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.), are hematophagous flies whose painful bites disrupt the grazing behavior of livestock, cause pain and suffering to companion animals and disrupt human recreational activities worldwide. Immature stable flies develop in fermenting vegetative matter, often contaminated with animal waste. Changing agronomic practices and crops have produced serious outbreaks of stable flies in crop residues, vegetables in Australia1, sugar cane in Brazil2, and pineapple in Costa Rica3. Although just 14 stable flies per animal are considered to be the economic threshold4, observations of more than 2,000 flies per animal have been made during recent outbreaks5. Such infestation levels reduce host productivity to near zero and can cause mortality6. As a result of agronomically associated outbreaks, stable flies are receiving renewed interest and demand for laboratory colonies has increased dramatically.
As for all holometamorphic insects, stable flies obtain all of the nutrients required for growth during the immature or larval stage. Therefore, an important component of a rearing system is the larval diet or substrate. Stable fly larvae have been observed developing in a broad range of substrates in the field7 and they are dependent upon the microbial community of the substrate8,9. Natural larval substrates are primarily composed of decomposing or fermenting vegetative materials often contaminated with nitrogenous wastes.
For laboratory rearing, stable fly larval substrates are usually composed of a vegetative material and an added nitrogen source. Numerous materials have been used for stable fly larval diets. The first larval diets mimicked natural substrates and included fermenting oat straw and horse or cow manure10,11. Carbohydrate sources include wheat bran12,13,14, alfalfa meal12,13,14 and a commercial formulation developed by Chemical Specialties Manufacturers Association (CSMA, 33% wheat bran, 27% alfalfa meal, 40% brewer&#39;s yeast granules)13,14,15,16. Nitrogen sources include yeast suspension12, fish meal and ammonium bicarbonate17. Inert bulking materials are often included in diets including oat hulls12, bagasse13, vermiculite16, wood chips13,18 and pelleted peanut hulls14.
A primary objective of laboratory rearing is to produce a product that is as physiologically similar to &#34;wild type&#34; as possible in order that laboratory experiments will produce results reflecting those of field populations. This requires that in-breeding and selection be minimized to maintain genetic diversity and nutritional resources be comparable to those in the field. Secondary objectives are to minimize labor and expenses. A major component of minimizing expenses is the use of locally available diet components. The stable fly rearing system presented was developed to meet these objectives.

<table>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Diamalt</td>
			<td>Premier Malt Products, Inc., Saddle Brook, NJ</td>
			<td>2540</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>CSMA Fly media</td>
			<td>Purina Animal Nutrition, Arden Hills, MN</td>
			<td>5S6Z</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Thin Maxi Pad</td>
			<td>The Tranzonic Co., Cleveland, OH, USA</td>
			<td>5001M</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Calf Manna</td>
			<td>MannaPro, Chesterfield, MO, USA</td>
			<td>Manna Pro</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ammonium Bicarbonate</td>
			<td>Spectrum Chemical Manufacturing Corp, Gardena, CA</td>
			<td>A1125</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Wheat bran, Coarse</td>
			<td>Siemer Milling Company, Teutopolis, IL</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Wood shavings</td>
			<td>Tractor Supply Company, Brentwood, TN</td>
			<td>502770699</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Fishmeal</td>
			<td>Consumer Supply Distributing, North Sioux City, SD</td>
			<td>F1550</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Adult cages</td>
			<td>All Aluminum Window Company, Lincoln, Ne</td>
			<td>Custom</td>
			<td>45 &#215; 45 &#215; 45 cm, 18 &#215; 16 mesh aluminum screen, stockinette access</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>9 &#215; 28 cm black cotton cloth</td>
			<td>Robert Kaufman Fabrics, Los Angeles, CA</td>
			<td>K040-114</td>
			<td>Egging cloth</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>10 liter plastic dish pans</td>
			<td>Rubbermaid, Saratoga Springs, NY</td>
			<td>FG2951ARWHT</td>
			<td>Larval pans</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Stockinette, Cotton, 12&#34; X 25 yd roll</td>
			<td>Tex-Care Medical Company, Burlington, NC</td>
			<td>91311-225</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

laboratory rearing of stable flies and other muscoid diptera

Stable flies, Stomoxys calcitrans, are serious pests of livestock, humans, companion animals and wildlife worldwide. During the last 20+ years, changes in agronomic practices resulted in serious outbreaks of stable flies in several countries. These outbreaks disrupted livestock production and human recreation resulting in public demands for increasing research and management efforts for this pest. A simple and inexpensive procedure for rearing stable flies for laboratory studies is presented. The procedure uses locally available diet components, equipment and supplies. The procedure can be adapted for rearing other muscoid flies including face fly (Musca autumnalis), horn fly (Haematobia irritans), and house fly (Musca domestica). The procedure produces stable fly puparia averaging 12.5 mg and ~35% egg to adult survival. Approximately 3000 flies are produced in each pan.

Larvae pupariate 10&#8211;14 days and adults emerge 14&#8211;16 days after oviposition. Generation time, egg to egg, is ~24 days. Rearing data for May 2013 to January 2017 with three different bulking agents and two colonies are presented in Figure 5. Cottonwood gave the best yield, 3867 &#177;1442 (<img alt="Equation" src="/files/ftp_upload/57341/57341eq1.jpg" /> &#177; standard deviation) pupae weighing 12.5 &#177;1.6 mg with 74 &#177;19% eclosion producing...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Laboratory Rearing of Stable Flies and Other Muscoid Diptera at JoVE.com

Laboratory Rearing of Stable Flies and Other Muscoid Diptera

A procedure for rearing stable flies (Stomoxys calcitrans) is presented. The procedure uses locally available materials for diet components, equipment and supplies.

Stable flies, Stomoxys calcitrans, are serious pests of livestock, humans, companion animals and wildlife worldwide. During the last 20+ years, changes in ...

This method can help answer key questions in livestock entomology, such as what stable flies require for development. The main advantage to this technique is that it is simple. The medium is composed of only four ingredients.Propagating Stomoxys calcitrans begins with collecting eggs from a stock of flies. This involves preparing an egging cup. Dip the tip of a cloth into a 250-milliliter jar filled with 40 degrees Celsius water.Then wrap the cloth around the outside of the jar and secure the cloth with a rubber band. Fold the loose end of the cloth over the top of the jar to limit access to the water. Now place this cup into a cage of eight to 10-day old flies.After two hours, the gravid females will oviposit enough eggs for the next generation. Typically, 2, 500 flies will produce eight to 40, 000 eggs in two hours. Next, using water, rinse the eggs off the egging cloth into a small, empty dish pan.Theoretically, eggs can survive in water for eight to 12 hours. However, it is best to limit the time to five hours or less. To rear larvae from the eggs, make up fresh fly medium in a 10-liter plastic dish pan.Then make a shallow furrow in the medium along the length of the dish pan for the eggs. To transfer the eggs, make a specialized egg pipette. by inserting a mesh screen into a pipette.Simply cut the pipette at the desired location. And glue a number 100 mesh screen into the pipette at that position. Then, using the egg pipette, collect about one milliliter of eggs and deposit them into the furrow.This amounts to about 8, 000 eggs. Then cover the eggs with a thin layer of medium so they don't desiccate. Next, cover the dish pan with a standard cotton pillowcase, and secure it with a rubber band.When the dish pan is kept under standard rearing conditions, larvae will develop in about two weeks. Within nine days, the larvae will have moved to the edge of the medium, and by day 14, they will have pupated. Many pupae can be found at the dish pan's edge under a crust of food.Regularly scoop the pupae from the dish pan and transfer them to a clean 10-liter dish pan. Add water to break up the clumps of pupae and medium. Most of the food will sink and the pupae will float.Transfer all the floating materials to a stack of sieves and rinse off the remaining medium. The pupae will collect in the number 12 sieve. Rinse the pupae until they look clean, and then float them in clean water.Now collect the cleaned floating pupae in a colander. Then transfer the pupae to a drying screen and allow them to dry under a steady air stream from a fan. Some adults will start to eclose in a few hours and some will take a few days.An alternative method of collecting pupae is to use a pupal shelf, which is made from a plastic section taken from the end of a 10-liter dish pan. To use the shelf, load a 10-liter dish pan with medium tapered from about 2.5 centimeters deep on one end to 7.5 centimeters deep on the other. Then place the shelf in the shallow end and tape the edges to prevent larvae from crawling alongside the shelf.Next, saturate a sponge with water and wrap it in a water-soaked cloth. Place it on the shelf about 1/2 inch from the medium. Importantly, monitor the sponge daily to make sure it stays moist.Allow the larvae to pupate on the shelf, keeping the sponge and cloth away from the food, minimizing the need for extensive cleaning. For a colony health metric, collect 100 pupae from each generation. Weigh the pupae and track their emergence and sex ratio.Before loading pupae into an empty adult cage, line the cage with butcher's paper. Then load 50 grams of dry stable pupae into the cage. Within 24 hours of the first flies eclosing, start feeding them blood.Soak 20 to 25 milliliters of bovine blood into a feminine napkin and position it on top of the cage. Replace it daily until one day prior to oviposition. After oviposition, freeze the cage for four to eight hours to euthanize the flies.Then clean the cage by removing the paper, rinsing frass from the sides and floor with hot water, and scrubbing all surfaces with laundry detergent and chlorine bleach. Then rinse the cage with hot water and allow it to dry. Over 3 1/2 years, three different bulking agents and two colonies were maintained.Cottonwood gave the best yield. The sex ratio was slightly biased towards females. Egg-to-adult survival was approximately 36%Using pine, which was more available than cottonwood, brood number was slightly lower.But individual size was slightly larger. Thus, pine is an acceptable choice. Overall, the operation is very affordable in terms of material costs.The current cost for the medium components is one dollar and seventeen cents per dish pan. Sanitary napkins are five cents each, and a gallon of blood can cost up to five dollars. After watching this video, you should have a good understanding of how to raise stable flies from egg to adult.While attempting this procedure, it's important to remember to be consistent. This makes it much easier to troubleshoot. Following this procedure, other methods like different diets can be performed in order to answer additional questions like what are the nutritional needs of stable flies.

laboratory-rearing-of-stable-flies-and-other-muscoid-diptera

Research

JoVE Journal

Biology

Studying Aggression in Drosophila (fruit flies)

Aggression is an innate behavior that evolved in the framework of defending or obtaining resources. This complex social behavior is influenced by genetic, hormonal and environmental factors. In many organisms, aggression is critical to survival but controlling and suppressing aggression in distinct contexts also has become increasingly important. In recent years, invertebrates have become increasingly useful as model systems for investigating the genetic and systems biological basis of complex social behavior. This is in part due to the diverse repertoire of behaviors exhibited by these organisms. In the accompanying video, we outline a method for analyzing aggression in Drosophila whose design encompasses important eco-ethological constraints. Details include steps for: making a fighting chamber; isolating and painting flies; adding flies to the fight chamber; and video taping fights. This approach is currently being used to identify candidate genes important in aggression and in elaborating the neuronal circuitry that underlies the output of aggression and other social behaviors.

Studying Aggression in Drosophila fruit flies

Aggression is an innate behavior that evolved in the framework of defending or obtaining resources.  This complex social behavior is influenced by ...

Harvesting and Preparing Drosophila Embryos for Electrophysiological Recording and Other Procedures

Drosophila is a premier genetic model for the study of both embryonic development and functional neuroscience. Traditionally, these fields are quite isolated from each other, with largely independent histories and scientific communities. However, the interface between these usually disparate fields is the developmental programs underlying acquisition of functional electrical signaling properties and differentiation of functional chemical synapses during the final phases of neural circuit formation. This interface is a critically important area for investigation. In Drosophila, these phases of functional development occur during a period of &lt;8 hours (at 25&deg;C) during the last third of embryogenesis. This late developmental period was long considered intractable to investigation owing to the deposition of a tough, impermeable epidermal cuticle. A breakthrough advance was the application of water-polymerizing surgical glue that can be locally applied to the cuticle to enable controlled dissection of late-stage embryos. With a dorsal longitudinal incision, the embryo can be laid flat, exposing the ventral nerve cord and body wall musculature to experimental investigation. This system has been heavily used to isolate and characterize genetic mutants that impair embryonic synapse formation, and thus reveal the molecular mechanisms governing the specification and differentiation of synapse connections and functional synaptic signaling properties.

Harvesting and Preparing Drosophila Embryos for Electrophysiological Recording and Other Procedures

This technique exposes the Drosophila embryonic neuromusculature for immunohistochemistry or electrophysiological recording. It is useful for studying early events in neuromuscular development or performing electrophysiology in mutants that cannot hatch.

Drosophila is a premier genetic model for the study of both embryonic development and functional neuroscience. Traditionally, these fields are quite ...

An Optimized Protocol for Rearing Fopius arisanus, a Parasitoid of Tephritid Fruit Flies

Fopius arisanus (Sonan) is an important parasitoid of Tephritid fruit flies for at least two reasons. First, it is the one of only three opiine parasitoids known to infect the host during the egg stage1. Second, it has a wide range of potential fruit fly hosts. Perhaps due to its life history, F. arisanus has been a successfully used for biological control of fruit flies in multiple tropical regions2-4. One impediment to the wide use of F. arisanus for fruit fly control is that it is difficult to establish a stable laboratory colony5-9. Despite this difficulty, in the 1990s USDA researchers developed a reliable method to maintain laboratory populations of F. arisanus10-12. There is significant interest in F. arisanus biology13,14, especially regarding its ability to colonize a wide variety of Tephritid hosts14-17; interest is especially driven by the alarming spread of Bactrocera fruit fly pests to new continents in the last decade18. Further research on F. arisanus and additional deployments of this species as a biological control agent will benefit from optimizations and improvements of rearing methods. In this protocol and associated video article we describe an optimized method for rearing F. arisanus based on a previously described approach12. The method we describe here allows rearing of F. arisanus in a small scale without the use of fruit, using materials available in tropical regions around the world and with relatively low manual labor requirements.

An Optimized Protocol for Rearing Fopius arisanus, a Parasitoid of Tephritid Fruit Flies

Fopius arisanus is an egg-larval parasitoid of Tephritid fruit flies that is successfully used in biological control of these important tropical pests. We describe here an optimized protocol for rearing F. arisanus on a small scale using readily available materials.

Fopius arisanus (Sonan) is an important parasitoid of Tephritid fruit flies for at least two reasons. First, it is the one of only three opiine ...

Determining Temperature Preference of Mosquitoes and Other Ectotherms

Most insects and other ectotherms have a relatively narrow optimal temperature window, and deviation from their optima can have significant effects on their fitness, as well as other characteristics. Consequently, many such ectotherms seek out their optimal temperature range. Although temperature preferences of mosquitoes and other insects have been well studied, the traditional experimental setup is performed using a temperature gradient on an aluminum surface in a highly enclosed space. In some cases, this equipment restricts many natural behaviors, such as flying, which may be important in preference selection.
The objective of this study is to observe insect preference for air temperature by using a two-chamber apparatus with sufficient room for flight. The two chambers consist of independent temperature-controlled incubators, each with a large aperture. The incubators are connected by these apertures using a short acrylic bridge. Inside the incubators are two netted cages, linked via the apertures and bridge, allowing the insects to freely fly between the different conditions. The acrylic bridge also acts as a temperature gradient between the two incubators.
Due to the spacious area in the cage and easy construction, this method can be used to study any small ectotherm and/or any manipulation which may alter temperature preference including sensory organ manipulation, diet, gut flora, and endosymbiont presence at biosafety levels 1 or 2 (BSL 1 or 2). Additionally, the apparatus can be used for the study of pathogen infection using further containment (e.g., inside of a biosafety cabinet) at BSL 3.

Insects have an optimal environmental temperature range which they seek to remain within, and many external and internal factors can alter this preference. Here, we describe a cost-effective and simple method to study temperature choice, which allows insects to freely exhibit their natural behaviors.

Most insects and other ectotherms have a relatively narrow optimal temperature window, and deviation from their optima can have significant effects on ...

Stria Vascularis Microdissection for Single-Nucleus Sequencing or Immunostaining

Dissection of Adult Mouse Stria Vascularis for Single-Nucleus Sequencing or Immunostaining

Endocochlear potential, which is generated by the stria vascularis, is essential to maintain an environment conducive to appropriate hair cell mechanotransduction and ultimately hearing. Pathologies of the stria vascularis can result in a decreased hearing. Dissection of the adult stria vascularis allows for focused single-nucleus capture and subsequent single-nucleus sequencing and immunostaining. These techniques are used to study stria vascularis pathophysiology at the single-cell level. 
Single-nucleus sequencing can be used in the setting of transcriptional analysis of the stria vascularis. Meanwhile, immunostaining continues to be useful in identifying specific populations of cells. Both methods require proper stria vascularis dissection as a prerequisite, which can prove to be technically challenging.

Author Spotlight: Dissection of Adult Mouse Stria Vascularis for Single-Nucleus Sequencing or Immunostaining  

The stria vascularis is vital to the generation of endocochlear potential. Here, we present the dissection of the adult mouse stria vascularis for single-nucleus sequencing or immunostaining.

Endocochlear potential, which is generated by the stria vascularis, is essential to maintain an environment conducive to appropriate hair cell ...

Enhancing Survival and Development of Marmosets Using a Hand-Rearing Approach

Hand-Rearing Method for Infant Marmosets

The common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) is a small and highly social New World monkey with high reproduction rates, which has been proven to be a compelling non-human primate model for biomedical and neuroscience research. Some females give birth to triplets; however, the parents cannot raise all of them. To save these infants, we have developed a hand-rearing method for raising newborn marmosets. In this protocol, we describe the formula of the food, the time for feeding, the configuration of the temperature and humidity, as well as the adaptation of the hand-reared infants to the colony environment. This hand-rearing method significantly increases the survival rate of marmoset infants (without hand-rearing: 45%; with hand-rearing: 86%) and provides the opportunity to study the development of marmoset infants with similar genetic backgrounds raised in different postnatal environments. As the method is practical and easy to use, we anticipate that it could also be applied to other labs working with common marmosets.

Author Spotlight: Marmoset Research - Scope and Challenges 

Here, we describe a hand-rearing method for raising infant marmosets in an animal incubator. This method greatly increases the survival rate of marmoset infants, which provides the opportunity to study the development of marmoset infants with similar genetic backgrounds raised in different postnatal environments.

The common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) is a small and highly social New World monkey with high reproduction rates, which has been proven to be a ...

Rearing Germ-Free &lt;em&gt;Nasonia&lt;/em&gt; Wasps

Optimizing the Rearing Procedure of Germ-Free Wasps

Aseptic rearing technology is a method of culturing insects under sterile or almost sterile conditions, which can effectively eliminate the influence of external microorganisms on insect microbiota and thus promote the rapid development of insect microbiota research. Nasonia (wasp genus) is a parasitic wasp insect that has many advantages, such as a short lifespan, high genetic variation, easy operation, etc., and is widely used as an insect model system. Unlike antibiotic treatment, which can only reduce the number of microorganisms in animals, aseptic rearing techniques can control both the composition and quantity of microorganisms in animals, further facilitating the study of host-microbe interactions. However, previous versions of Nasonia rearing medium (NRM) have some defects and problems, such as a complex and time-consuming preparation process, easy contamination by bacteria or fungi, and short storage time. Therefore, this study solves these problems by optimizing the tools used in the NRM preparation process, storage conditions, and component ratios. The optimized medium could allow storage at -20 &#176;C for at least 3 months and eliminate the possibility of NRM contamination during feeding sterile wasps. This further improves the survival rate and health level of aseptic Nasonia, which is important for using Nasonia as a model for microbial research.

Author Spotlight: Optimizing the Rearing Procedure of Germ-Free Wasps  

Nasonia wasp embryos were dissected from Lucillia sericata pupae after parasitization for 12-24 h and washed with alcohol and 10% sodium hypochlorite solution to obtain germ-free embryos. After rearing the germ-free embryos&#160;and supplying them with Nasonia rearing medium to grow and develop in vitro, germ-free Nasonia adults were obtained.

Aseptic rearing technology is a method of culturing insects under sterile or almost sterile conditions, which can effectively eliminate the influence of ...

Germ-Free Wasp Embryo Collection and Rearing with Nasonia-Rearing Medium (NRM)

Germ-Free Wasp Embryo Collection and Rearing with Nasonia-Rearing Medium (NRM)  

To begin, parasitize about 40 Lucilia sericata pupae onto emerging adult male and female Nasonia wasps mated for 1.5 days. Within 12 to 24 hours after parasitization, carefully open one end of the pupal shell using a sterile dissecting needle. Hold the other end of the shell and locate the wasp embryo.Then transfer the embryo to a sterile cell strainer moistened with PBS. Once 20 to 30 embryos have been transferred, wash them with 1, 000 microliters of 10%sodium hypochlorite solution followed by sterile PBS and 70%ethanol. Finally, wash them three times with sterile PBS.Next, place a polypropylene mesh sheet pre-wetted with PBS into a 24 well plate. Using a sterilized small brush, gently transfer the wasp embryos from the cell strainer to the polypropylene mesh sheet. For the wasp rearing, add 50 microliters of prepared NRM to each well with a sheet.Then add one milliliter of sterile water between each well to maintain a humid environment for growth. The next day, transfer the polypropylene mesh containing the larva from one well to another well using alcohol disinfected tweezers, and add 50 microliters of equilibrated NRM. After nine to 11 days of feeding, over 80%of the larva should develop into white or yellow pupae.then transfer the mesh to a clean well plate. In the present study, the survival rate of the germ-free wasps from larva to pupae was significantly improved compared to rearing germ-free wasps with NRM version three. Additionally, there was no difference in the generation period between the germ-free and conventionally reared wasps.

Studying Development of Axenic &lt;em&gt;Delia antiqua&lt;/em&gt; and Ensuring Bacteria-Free Growth

Rearing Axenic Delia antiqua with Half-Fermented Sterile Diets

Axenic insects are obtained from sterile artificial rearing systems using sterile media. These insects, characterized by their small size, short growth cycle, and low feed requirements, are ideal for studying the relationship between microorganisms and hosts. The gut microbiota significantly influences the physiological characteristics of insect hosts, and introducing specific strains into axenic insects provides a method for verifying gut microbial functions. Delia antiqua, a threatening pest in the order Diptera, family Anthomyiidae, and genus Delia, primarily feeds on onions, garlic, leeks, and other vegetables of the family Liliaceae. Its larvae feed on the bulbs, causing rotting, wilting, and even death of entire plants. By rearing axenic larvae, follow-up studies can be conducted to observe the effects of intestinal microflora on the growth and development of D. antiqua. Unlike the method involving antibiotic elimination of associated microbes, this article presents a low-cost and high-efficiency approach to raising axenic D. antiqua. After surface sterilization of D. antiqua eggs, half-fermented sterile diets were used to raise larvae, and the axenic state of D. antiqua was verified through culture-dependent and culture-independent assays. In conclusion, the combination of insect egg sterilization and the preparation of sterile diets for larval culture has enabled the development of an efficient and simple method for obtaining axenic D. antiqua. This method provides a powerful approach to studying insect-microflora interactions.

Author Spotlight: Axenic Rearing of Delia antiqua to Detect the Impact of Intestinal Microbes on Its Growth and Development 

A simple procedure for rearing axenic Delia antiqua with half-fermented sterile diets is described. Only one Wolbachia strain was detected in each instar of axenic D. antiqua using PCR.

Axenic insects are obtained from sterile artificial rearing systems using sterile media. These insects, characterized by their small size, short growth ...

&lt;i&gt;Bradysia coprophila&lt;/i&gt; Lab Protocols and Chromosomal Research

Laboratory Maintenance of the Lower Dipteran Fly Bradysia (Sciara) coprophila: A New/Old Emerging Model Organism

Laboratory stocks of the lower dipteran fly, Bradysia (Sciara) coprophila, have been maintained for over a century. Protocols for laboratory upkeep of B. coprophila are presented here. These protocols will be useful for the rapidly increasing number of laboratories studying B. coprophila to take advantage of its unique biological features, which include (1) a monopolar spindle in male meiosis I; (2) non-disjunction of the X dyad in male meiosis II; (3) chromosome imprinting to distinguish maternal from paternal homologs; (4) germ line-limited (L) chromosomes; (5) chromosome elimination (paternal chromosomes in male meiosis I; one to two X chromosomes in early embryos; L chromosomes from the soma in early embryos); (6) sex determination by the mother (there is no Y chromosome); and (7) developmentally regulated DNA amplification at the DNA puff loci in larval salivary gland polytene chromosomes. 
It is now possible to explore these many unique features of chromosome mechanics by using the recent advances in sequencing and assembly of the B. coprophila genome and the development of transformation methodology for genomic engineering. The growing scientific community that uses B. coprophila for research will benefit from the protocols described here for mating the flies (phenotypic markers for mothers that will have only sons or only daughters; details of mass mating for biochemical experiments), checking embryo hatch, feeding larvae, and other comments on its rearing.

Author Spotlight: Exploring &lt;i&gt;Bradysia coprophila&#039;s&lt;/i&gt; Unique Biology &amp;#8211; A Guide to Laboratory Maintenance

This paper outlines the laboratory maintenance (including mating and feeding) of the lower dipteran fly Bradysia (Sciara) coprophila.

Laboratory stocks of the lower dipteran fly, Bradysia (Sciara) coprophila, have been maintained for over a century. Protocols for laboratory upkeep of B. ...