On the Sex Ratio in Glossina

Extract

The preponderance of males in tsetse-fly catches is an interesting fact that has not been understood in the past. Attention is drawn to the importance of the agefactor. Teneral flies are nearly always taken in equal numbers whereas non-teneral A.G.I flies and A.G.2 flies have the highest male/female ratio. In A.G.3, the ratio drops, indicating a decline in reproductive capacity. Females become fugitive about seven days after emergence, at the time when the first egg is almost due to descend into the uterus, i.e., at the end of the teneral stage. This is the mating phase par excellence. Mating is prolonged, vigorous, and frequent, and this accounts for the early appearance of the mating scars. As the uterus lies under and between the mating cushions, it is unsafe for females with eggs in the uterus or young larvae to mate. Third-instar larvae are safer as the highly chitinized polypneustic lobes take the brunt of the pummelling from the claspers. Safe periods also occur during the hiatus between larvipositions when the uterus is empty. There are, of course, other factors influencing the ratio, but the age factor is considered paramount, and failure to recognize this in the past has resulted in a good deal of confusion.