House fly males are attracted to fresh female cadavers infected with the entomopathogenic fungus, Entomophthora muscae. Both chemical and visual cues may stimulate male flies to attempt copulation. Behavioral assays demonstrated sex-specific attraction regardless of body size. We examined the effect of E. muscae infection on house fly sex pheromone, Z-9 tricosene and other cuticular hydrocarbons. Young flies accumulated less pheromone than older flies as a result of the infection. Results suggest other chemical or visual cues contribute to the attractiveness of E. muscae infected female house flies.
Species 1: Zygomycetes Entomophthoraceae Entomophthora muscae
Species 2: Diptera Muscidae Musca domestica (house fly)
Keywords: Entomopathogenic fungi, Z-9 tricosene
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