Suppressing drosophila circadian rhythm with dim light.
Drosophila larvae were reared and allowed to pupate in continuous bright white light. The pupae were then transferred to a much dimmer blue light. In continuous blue light of intensity below 0.001 erg per square centimeter per second, adult flies emerged in pulses 24.7 hours apart, each pulse occupying about 6 hours. But in continuous light of intensity exceeding 0.1 erg per square centimeter per second, they emerged at a steady rate. This intensity range from effective darkness to effective light is roughly from starlight to moonlight. Inside this range, the emergence peaks broaden for about a week with little change of period.
D000818:Animals; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D004330:Drosophila / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D008027:Light; D008297:Male; D008675:Metamorphosis, Biological; D011679:Pupa