Feeding Response to Select Monosaccharides, Sugar Alcohols, and Artificial Sweeteners Relative to Sucrose in Adult House Flies, Musca domestica (Diptera: Muscidae)

Author ORCID Identifier

Bethia King:https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0435-5928

Edwin Burgess:https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8144-0897

Publication Title

Journal of Medical Entomology

ISSN

00222585

E-ISSN

19382928

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Use of insecticidal baits risks the evolution of resistance to the feeding stimulant in the bait, not just to the active ingredient (toxicant). Sucrose-based baits are widely used against house flies, Musca domestica L. The baits are applied as dry granules, but readily liquefy. The proboscis extension reflex (PER) and consumption of alternative sweeteners, dry or in solution, were examined. Fructose, glucose, and xylitol merit further study as alternatives to sucrose. Dry, fructose, glucose, and xylitol elicited PER much more than sucrose, although not when in solution. Furthermore, dry or in solution, females and males ate as much or more fructose as sucrose. In solution, flies ate as much glucose as sucrose; although when dry, consumption was much less for glucose than sucrose. Dry, xylitol elicited as much consumption as sucrose for females, though less for males. In solution, for both sexes, xylitol elicited less consumption than sucrose did. Acesulfame potassium, sodium cyclamate, and sucralose do not look promising as they did not often elicit PER, whether dry or in solution. Erythritol also does not look promising. Erythritol elicited PER no more than sucrose did when dry and elicited PER much less than sucrose when in solution. Flies ate much less erythritol than sucrose whether dry or in solution.

First Page

511

Last Page

518

Publication Date

2-27-2020

DOI

10.1093/jme/tjz195

PubMed ID

31743395

Keywords

consumption, house fly, proboscis extension reflex, sugar, sweeteners

Department

Department of Biological Sciences

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