A review of the natural history and laboratory culture methods for the yellow dung fly, Scathophaga stercoraria

WU Blanckenhorn1a, AJ Pemberton1, LF Bussière1,2b, J Roembke3c, and KD Floate4d

1Zoological Museum, University of Zürich-Irchel, 34-J-98, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Switzerland
2School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, United Kingdom FK9 4LA
3ECT Oekotoxikologie GmbH, Böttgerstr. 2-14, D-65439 Flörsheim, Germany
4Lethbridge Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 5403 1st Avenue S, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada T1J 4B1

Abstract

The yellow dung fly Scathophaga stercoraria (L.) (Diptera: Scathophagidae) is a widespread and locally abundant fly associated with the dung of large mammals, especially farm animals. This species has recently become a standard test organism for evaluating toxic effects of veterinary pharmaceuticals in livestock dung. In this context, a review of its natural history and a general description of the field and laboratory rearing methods of this species are provided here to benefit the scientific community as well as government regulators and applicants of eco-toxicological studies. For guidance, means and ranges are included for all relevant standard life history traits stemming from previously published data on Swiss populations.

Keywords:bioassay, eco-toxicology, faecal residues, life history, non-target effects

Correspondence: awolf.blanckenhorn@ieu.uzh.ch, bluc.bussiere@stir.ac.uk, cj-roembke@ect.de, dKevin.Floate@agr.gc.ca

Received: 11 April 2008 | Accepted: 28 August 200 | Published: 2 March 2010

Editor: Allen Cohen was editor of this paper.

ISSN: 1536-2442 | Volume 10, Number 11

Blanckenhorn WU, Pemberton AJ, Bussière LF, Roembke J, Floate KD. 2010, A review of the natural history and laboratory culture methods for the yellow dung fly, Scathophaga stercoraria 17pp. Journal of Insect Science 10:11, available online: insectscience.org/10.11


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