Productivity of Glossina morsitans morsitans Westwood maintained in the laboratory, with particular reference to the sterile-insect release method.

Glossina morsitans is of great economic importance in Africa and if a mass-rearing project were to be undertaken with a view to control by the release of sterilized males it would be necessary to know the productivity that could be obtained from this species in the laboratory. Data for life tables and age-specific fecundity schedules of G. m. morsitans fed on goats or lop-eared rabbits are used to calculate outputs of viable pupae or of young adult males that would be available for disposal.For control by the sterile-male method, it is likely that pupae bred in captivity would be the organisms of choice for field release. The weekly output of viable males could be 18-25% of the total adult stock. Some implications of these findings are discussed.