Nectar versus honeydew as sources of sugar for male and female black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae).
Black flies were collected twice daily using a vehicle-mounted insect net on 8 sample days between 20 May and 9 July 1993. The contents of the crops and midguts of 160 male and 160 female Simulium venustum Say were analyzed individually by thin-layer chromatography. Fourteen different combinations were identified of the following sugars: fructose glucose sucrose/turanose, melezitose, raffinose, and stachyose. Presence of melezitose and stachyose indicated that black flies had fed on homopteran honeydew. Significantly more female (40.0%) than male flies (27.5%) fed on honeydew, and this difference was caused by a skewedness in the morning samples.
Burgin
S G
SG
Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada.
Hunter
F F
FF
D000818:Animals; D002241:Carbohydrates; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D012843:Simuliidae / Q000502:physiology*
D002241:Carbohydrates