SOME CHANGES RESULTING FROM WATER DEPRIVATION IN BLOWFLY LUCILIA CUPRINA

Females of the Australian sheep blowfly, Lucilia cuprina, were allowed to drink water to repletion and thereafter were given no further access to water. During the period of water deprivation changes in the responsiveness of the flies to water, the weight of the whole fly, the weight of the crop, the volume and osmotic pressure of the haemolymph, and sodium and chloride ion concentrations in this fluid were measured. The results indicated that the volume of water in the crop and the volume and osmotic pressure of the haemolymph were poorly correlated with the responsiveness of flies to water and that better correlation existed between thirst and the concentrations of chloride and sodium ions. © 1968.