title: Augmenting Laboratory Rearing of Stable Fly (Diptera: Muscidae) Larvae With Ammoniacal Salts.
abstract: Stable flies are blood feeding parasites and serious pests of livestock. The immature stages develop in decaying materials which frequently have high ammonium content. We added various ammonium salts to our laboratory stable fly rearing medium and measured their effect on size and survival as well as the physical properties of the used media. The addition of ammonium hydroxide, ammonium phosphate and ammonium sulfate reduced larval survival. These compounds decreased pH and increased ammonium content of the used media. Ammonium bicarbonate had no effect on pH and marginally increased ammonium while increasing survival twofold. The optimal level of ammonium bicarbonate was 50 g (0.63 mol) per pan. Larval survival decreased when pH was outside the range of 8.5 to 9.0.
authors.affiliation: USDA-ARS, Agroecosystem Management Research Unit, Lincoln, Nebraska.
authors.forename: Kristina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Friesen
authors.affiliation: USDA-ARS, Agroecosystem Management Research Unit, Lincoln, Nebraska.
authors.forename: Dennis R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Berkebile
authors.affiliation: USDA-ARS, Agroecosystem Management Research Unit, Lincoln, Nebraska.
authors.forename: Jerry J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: USDA-ARS, Agroecosystem Management Research Unit, Lincoln, Nebraska dave.taylor@ars.usda.gov.
authors.forename: David B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Taylor
mesh_terms: D064751:Ammonium Compounds / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D049628:Body Size / Q000187:drug effects; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D007300:Insect Control; D007814:Larva / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D008136:Longevity / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D009117:Muscidae / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development*; D011679:Pupa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D012492:Salts / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D064751:Ammonium Compounds; D012492:Salts
keywords: ammonium; bicarbonate; development; larval medium