DODECAGON MAZE BIOASSAY TO ASSESS COLOUR BAIT PREFERENCES OF HOUSE FLIES

S.T. Bino Sundar; T.J. Harikrishnan; Bhaskaran Ravi Latha; T.M.A. Senthil Kumar; G. Sarath Chandra; Serma Saravana Pandian

doi:10.56093/ijvasr.v51i3.127420

Authors

S.T. Bino Sundar Assistant Professor, Department of Veterinary Parasitology, MVC, TANUVAS, Chennai
T.J. Harikrishnan Professor and Head (Retd.), Central University Laboratory (CUL), TANUVAS, Chennai
Bhaskaran Ravi Latha Professor and Head, Department of Veterinary Parasitology, MVC, TANUVAS, Chennai
T.M.A. Senthil Kumar Professor, Vaccine Research Centre-Viral vaccines, Centre for Animal Health Studies, TANUVAS, Chennai
G. Sarath Chandra Professor and Head, PLAFFS, TANUVAS, Chennai
Serma Saravana Pandian Assistant Professor, Department of Animal Husbandry Economics, MVC, Chennai

https://doi.org/10.56093/ijvasr.v51i3.127420

Keywords:

House fly, Musca domestica, Colour bait preference, Dodecagon maze, Bioassay

Abstract

Colour bait preferences of Musca domestica (house fly) was evaluated in a dodecagon maze. Flies collected from a poultry unit maintained in an in sectary were used for the study. An acrylic dodecagon maze was fabricated with dimensions 30 cm L x 25.5 cm B x 26 cm H with a lid. Twelve chambers were colour coded with red, black, blue, green, yellow and white in duplicate. House flies were swiftly released into the central chamber of dodecagon maze in batches, lid closed, observed for 30 min. Out of the total 718 house flies evaluated, 81.05 per cent (582 flies) responded to different colours whereas 5.01 per cent (36 flies) were non responders. Out of the 582 house flies responded to different colours, 30.41 per cent (177 flies), 21.99 per cent (128 flies),

16.32 per cent (95 flies), 14.43 per cent (84 flies), 10.48 per cent (61 flies) and 6.35 per cent (37 flies) preferred red, black, green, yellow, blue and white colours, respectively. Preference of house flies towards different colours compared to white was found to be highly significant statistically. Findings of the present study indicate that red being the most preferred colour, it can be used in house fly traps.

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