Screwworm larvae are reared on a diet prepared from spray dried bovine blood, spray dried egg, and a milk substitute, mixed with a gelling agent and water. Normal proportions of the dietary ingredients - blood, egg and milk are 6, 4, and 4%, respectively. For mass rearing, diet is normally provided at 3 different occasions during the entire larval growth period in 3 different amounts for a total of 16 liters of prepared diet per 20,000 larvae. Research was conducted to modify this feeding regime to minimize the amount of total diet and the number of feeding. Results show that the total diet and the number of feeding could be reduced to 13 liters and 2 feedings, respectively, without any adverse effect in the mass reared flies.
Species 1: Diptera Calliphoridae Cochliomyia hominivorax (screwworm fly)
Keywords: diet, rearing
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