Culturing fly larvae (Musca spp) on different substrates

Vo Lam

Vlam@ctu.edu.vn

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted for on farm culturing fly (Musca spp.) larvae grown on different substrates. Plastic baskets containing on average 400 g of substrate were allocated at random in a goat stable and flies were permitted to lay eggs there. The first experiment was designed to identify the kind of substrates which could be suitable for the development and feeding behaviour of larvae. The second experiment was set up as completed randomized design with five treatments and four replication per treatment to measure larvae biomass at the state of pre-pupae as influenced by different mixtures of kitchen waste:pig manure (1:0, 3:1, 1:1, 1:3 and 0:1 in fresh weight respectively).

As general rule, the flies could lay down eggs in all the studied substrates. The insect spent 8-10 days to complete their eggs to adult stage cycle. Results from the first experiment indicated that fly larvae only developed in kitchen wastes. There was a high population of fly larvae in treatments consisting of banana fruit alone or mixed with sugar palm syrup or cattle manure but the insect could not grown and emerge metamorphosis to pupa and adult sage in substrate with a low nitrogen content.

According to observations from the second experiment, there were not significant differences (P=0.08) in biomass yield between treatments consisting of kitchen wastes and pig manure (6.6 g DM/400 g substrate). In every metamorphosis cycle fly larvae could recycle 17.1% of the original N in substrates with a 7.1% consumption of the available dry material.

It is suggested that fly culture can be a tool for recycling biomass in integrated farming systems and contribute to decrease environmental contamination. Pig manure is suitable for culturing fly larvae. In turn, fly larvae can improve pig manure aggressiveness by decreasing undesirable odour and appearance.

Key words: fly larvae, maggot, pupae, animal, recycling