Genetics of House Flies: Variability studies with North Dakota, Texas, and Florida populations

Abstract

Genetic data were used to compare the structure of native house fly populations collected in North Dakota, Texas, and Florida. Recombination studies with mutant markers on chromosomes 3 and 4 indicated a lack of inversion polymorphism among the three populations in those areas of the genetic map studied. Significant differences were observed among flies from the three regions with regard to the frequency of 1) females that produced only male progeny, and 2) male-determining 3rd chromosomes (IIIm chromosomes). However, the North Dakota and Texas flies were more similar to each other than to the Florida flies since populations from the two former areas possessed a low frequency of both male-producing females and IIIm chromosomes; in contrast, the Florida population was void of females that produced males only and a high percentage if not all Florida males appeared to possess the IIIm male-determining mechanism. Tests for recessive lethal 3rd chromosomes showed that there was no significant difference in the frequency of lethal factors recovered from the North Dakota and Texas flies; the presence of IIIm chromosomes in Florida males precluded the recovery of lethal factors from this population by the method employed. The data suggest that house fly strains to be employed in genetic control programs should 1) originate from target control areas to avoid possible behavioral differences existing among flies from different locales, 2) be initiated with as many flies as possible to provide a background for the maintenance of variability, and 3) be renewed periodically with field-collected material since the genotype may be capable of rapid reorganization in response to laboratory selection pressures.

Sex-determinants and their distribution in various populations ofMusca domesticaL. of Western Europe

“…Since 1958, cases of sex-limited inheritance, interpreted a posteriori as due to autosomal sex-determinants, have been described in several strains of houseflies of non-European origin (Sullivan, 1958;Milani & Franco, 1959a;Kerr, 1960Kerr, ,1961 M II, JUT III, M V, F, Australian laboratory strain (Wagoner, 1969); Mil, Australian DDT-resistant laboratory strains (Kerr, 1970); Mill, North American field populations (McDonald et al 1975); M III, F, Japanese field populations Fukumori, 1977, 1978); FIV, compound laboratory strain (North American-Australian), (McDonald et al 1978); Ml, Mil, Mill, F, Fijian field population (Hiroyoshi & Inoue, 1979); M I, MII, M III, M V, Japanese field populations (Tsukamoto, Shono & Horio, 1980). In Europe only two autosomal sex-determinants have been reported: M III, Czeck DDT-resistant laboratory strains (Rupes & Pinterova, 1975); F (probably polygenic), North Italian field population (Rubini, van Heemert & Franco, 1977).…”

Migration and linkage disequilibrium in local populations of the housefly (Musca domestica) in Japan.

“…Although the Y chromosome is basically an M factor-carrier, M factors have been demonstrated in all of the five autosomal linkage groups (Sullivan, 1958;Wagoner, 1969;Hiroyoshi and Inoue, 1979;Inoue et al, 1986). Moreover, natural populations which are hard to detect the Y chromosome have been found in the United States (McDonald et al, 1975), Italy (Franco et al, 1982) and Japan (Tsukamoto et al, 1980). It is postulated that the frequency of M factor-carrying autosomes (AM) has increased in natural populations (in Japan, Hiroyoshi and Fukumori, 1977;Tomita and Wada, 1989;in Italy, Franco et al, 1982) in the past few decades.…”

Seasonal breeding structure in the house fly (Musca domestica L.)

“…Many of these mutations have been mapped to specific chromosomes (Hiroyoshi, 1961;Wagoner, 1967). Chromosomal inversions have not been found in house fly populations (McDonald and Overland, 1974;McDonald et al, 1975).…”

“…McDonald and Overland (1974) and McDonald et al (1975) and were fixed in the Florida populations. All of these males had two X chromosomes.…”

“…Many of these mutations have been mapped to specific chromosomes (Hiroyoshi, 1961;Wagoner, 1967). Chromosomal inversions have not been found in house fly populations (McDonald and Overland, 1974;McDonald et al, 1975).The mechanism of sex determination is heterogeneous in natural house fly populations (Milani, 1971). Black and Krafsur {1985b) studied seasonal and spatial sources of size variation in the house fly in Ames, Iowa.…”