All techniques currently in use for determination of the age of adult stable flies, Stomoxys calcitrans, have limitations. We conducted an investigation to measure relative sensitivity and accuracy of two current methods of age grading: chronological age using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and physiological or gonotrophic age by dissection of field-collected females. More than two thousand female stable flies collected from April-November 2001-2002 were initially dissected to determine physiological age and their heads individually placed on vials for subsequent analysis by NIRS.
Species 1: Diptera Muscidae Stomoxys calcitrans (stable fly)
Keywords: age grading, near-infrared spectroscopy
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