The Effect of Partial or Whole-body Irradiation of Pupal or Adult Female House-flies on Ovarian Maturation and Retention of Pupal Fat Body

Summary

Irradiation of late pupae or newly-emerged adults of Musca domestica L. with 1·8 to 2·25 kR of x-irradiation prevented ovarian development but had no effect on the disappearance of the pupal fat body; irradiation of 24-hour-old pupae with 1·5 kR caused 53 per cent mortality, stuted ovaries and retention of the pupal fat body by 69 per cent of the subsequent adults 96 hours after emergence. Shielding experiments showed that irradiation of the anterior one-third of the body of young pupae reduced emergence but had no effect on the ovaries or on the disappearance of the pupal fat body in the subsequent adults; irradiation of the posterior portion of the body stunted the ovaries and caused the retention of the pupal fat body in the subsequent adults.