Transactions of The Royal Society of Canada 



SECTION IV 

 Series III SEPTEMBER 1914 Vol. VIII 



Observations on the Feeding Habits of the Stable Fly, Stomoxys 

 calcitrans L. 



By C. Gordon Hewitt, D.Sc, Dominion Entomologist, Ottawa. 



(Read May 27, 1914) 



Collaterally with my studies on the House-fly, Musca domestica, 

 observations have been made on the life-histories and bionomics of 

 other Muscid flies, including the Stable-fly, Stomoxys calcitrans L. 

 In view of the possible relationship of this common blood-sucking fly 

 to poliomyetitis or infantile paralysis, suggested by the work of Brues, 

 Rosenau, Anderson, Frost and others, some experiments were carried 

 out in 1912 on the feeding habits of the fly, as little information was 

 available at that time regarding these habits, which are of no little 

 significance in the transmission of any micro-organisms. As pressure 

 of other work has prevented me from continuing in the meantime 

 these studies, and as I feel that in view of the possibility of 5. calcit- 

 rans being a factor in the spread of pellagra, as the investigations of 

 Jennings and King and the Thompson-McFadden Commission would 

 appear to suggest, it is desirable that all such observations should be 

 available, I am presenting them herewith in the hope that the facts 

 set forth may be of use in studying the rôle of this insect as a disease- 

 disseminator. I hope to publish a more complete account of my 

 studies on the bionomics and life-history of 5. calcitrans at a later 

 date. 



Several accounts of Stomoxys calcitrans have been published 

 during the last year, among which should be mentioned the interesting 

 work of Bishopp (1913), and the excellent account which Mitzmain 

 (1913) gives of his studies which are the most complete up to date, 

 with the exception of Portchinsky's valuable memoir (1910). 



Method of Feeding. 



Both sexes feed readily. In the experiments on which these 

 observations are based the insects were fed, as a rule, on the back of 

 my hand or arm, others were allowed to feed on a guinea pig in a cage 



Sec. IV, 1014—4 



