Assessing Musca domestica larvae as an alternative nutrient source for the mass rearing of Calosoma sycophanta in biocontrol

Authors : Ayhan Serttaş, Ümmühan Aslan Bıçkı, Hüseyin Çetin, Halil İbrahim Yolcu, Mitat Uyan

Pages : 221-227

Doi:10.17568/ogmoad.1780823

View : 68 | Download : 113

Publication Date : 2025-12-15

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :In this study, we investigated the potential use of housefly Musca domestica (Linnaeus, 1758) (Diptera: Muscidae) larvae as an alternative feed for mass-rearing Calosoma sycophanta (Linnaeus, 1758) (Coleoptera: Carabidae), a species utilized in biological control against forest pests. Our research focused on the egg production efficiency of Calosoma adults when fed housefly larvae and the growth and development of first-instar Calosoma larvae under laboratory conditions. We compared these groups with Calosoma individuals fed on pine processionary moth (PPM), Thaumetopoea wilkinsoni (Tams, 1926) (Lepidoptera: Thaumetopoeidae). The results indicated a significant increase in weight for first-instar C. sycophanta larvae after 16 days: a 52.9-fold increase when fed PPM and a 16-fold increase when fed housefly larvae. In terms of length growth, PPM-fed larvae demonstrated a 4.52-fold increase, whereas housefly-fed larvae showed a 3.06-fold increase. Although the larvae consumed M. domestica larvae, the adult Calosoma did not produce eggs, and the larvae did not pupate. In contrast, Calosoma adults fed with T. wilkinsoni produced eggs, with their larvae successfully maturing to adulthood. Fifty percent of larvae fed with PPM and eighty percent fed with houseflies survived to 16 days. The findings suggest that while Calosoma larvae raised on houseflies are smaller and lighter than those fed with PPM, feeding them houseflies for a minimum of two weeks and subsequently releasing them in their larval stage could aid in the biological control of PPM.
Keywords : Alternatif av, Calosoma sycophanta, Ev sineği, Kitlesel üretim

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