Screwworm larval diet was prepared using a cellulose fiber material from recycled newsprint in order to develop a less expesive mass rearing technology for screwworm eradication program. The cellulose fiber acted as an inert filler matrix to replace the currently used expensive gelling agent. The diet with cellulose fiber supported the larval growth as good as or better than the gelled diet. The cellulose-based diet was lighter and porous than the heavy gelled diet. Consequently, feeding and food utilization was more efficient in cellulose-based diet. Because of better food utilization lesser dietary ingredients were necessary to produce same number of pupae as compared with the gelled diet resulting in additional savings.
Species 1: Diptera Calliphoridae Cochliomyia hominivorax (Screwworm, New World Screwworm)
Keywords: Artificial Diet
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