Study on feeding frequency and its associated effects on production and survival rate of glossina fuscipes

Abstract

The sterile insect technique (SIT) is an efficient genetic-based tsetse fly control method that depends on the high production of male flies within laboratories, sterilization, and release of these flies in the target area. Production of flies in insectary/laboratory requires a sustainable supply of quantitative and qualitative blood for in vitro feeding. The need for a regular supplement of large amounts and high blood quality is among the main challenges in tsetse fly mass-rearing insectaries that increase the cost of production. For this reason, optimized feeding strategies that can optimize production and minimize the cost of production are mandatory in any given insectary facility. However, an optimized feeding strategy for this species is lacking. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the best feeding frequency that could optimize production and minimize the cost of production in a mass-rearing insectary facility. Three laboratory experimental groups were established based on the frequency of fly feeding regimes. The first group was fed three times per week, the second group was fed four times per week, and the third group was fed five times per week. The results showed that feeding frequency had an important effect on fly production and survival. The lowest outcomes for all parameters were obtained in flies which fed three times per week and relatively the best results were obtained in the four-times-per-week feeding regime.