The Society for the study of flies (Diptera)
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#1 2008-05-15 16:50:02
Breeding from larvae in sap runs - any ideas?
I have just located a stack of syrphid larvae in a sap run on oak (about 50 yards from my office). My question is, does anyone have experience of breeding from such larvae? Presumably one needs to try and collect the pupae, but how is this done?
All suggestions welcome. I have photos which I shall post tonight.
Nigel Jones
Shropshire
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#2 2008-05-15 17:38:42
- Judy Webb
- Committee
- Name: Judith Webb
- Registered: 2008-02-21
- Posts: 396
Re: Breeding from larvae in sap runs - any ideas?
How exciting! I have been trying to breed from a sap run since last October. Scraped some of the goo plus larvae into one of my rearing pots and fed the whole thing with a teaspoon of diluted maple syrup now and again all winter long. However I failed on the Brachyopa present, but had Mycetobia pallipes in hundreds and a couple of Phaeonia emerged. The syrphid larvae will probably exit the goo to pupate, so may be present in the soil under the sap run. Put something to catch them? Or take the larvae if mature in their goo, put it in a small pot within a bigger rearing pot with soil in the bottom. Arrange the goo pot at an angle so the larvae can easily crawl out to the soil when they need to leave to pupate? Just an idea. Let's see what more experienced people may say!
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#3 2008-05-15 18:11:45
Re: Breeding from larvae in sap runs - any ideas?
Hi Judy,
Yes it is exciting. It's the first time I have ever encountered larvae in a sap run. Having watched the larave for a while, I have now concluded that it would be difficult to rear the larvae away from the tree they are on. The larvae seem to move about quite a lot, and appear to be gravitatiing toward a particularly favoured patch, which is frothed up (by the action of the larvae perhaps) and contains many individual larvae. I conjecture that this patch has the right consistency, which may change over time, requiring the larvae to move again to a more suitable patch maybe?
I think I will bury a container containing lots of leaf mould and bits of bark under the sap run at the base of the tree, to see if any pupa make their home there. Also I'll see if I can spot any larvae obviously crawling off the tree at maturity and I'll take these home and house them as you suggest.
I tried counting the larvae, but this was difficult, as many are high up an dout of sight, and others are obscured by froth. I reckon there at the very least thirty.
Last edited by conopid (2008-05-15 18:13:33)
Nigel Jones
Shropshire
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#4 2008-05-17 03:39:02
- Judy Webb
- Committee
- Name: Judith Webb
- Registered: 2008-02-21
- Posts: 396
Re: Breeding from larvae in sap runs - any ideas?
Good luck! It would be good to know if you have any success. Nice larval photos and identification tips as well.
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#5 2009-03-05 03:14:17
- davidphokpins
- Registered user
- Name: Array Array
- Registered: 2008-11-02
- Posts: 1
Re: Breeding from larvae in sap runs - any ideas?
I was curious to ask whether any one has had any further success with the sap runs? There is a large horse chestnut tree just of the main ride of a Northamptonshire wood, named Old Sulehay Forest (the tree is quite distinctive for anyone who lives close to Peterborough and knows the area), I regularly visit that for years I've noted a good number of larvae within the sap runs it commonly has. I've for years wondered about rearing these to see what possible species are within but without many clear ideas to how. My intention is to experiment a little this spring/summer when I'm back in the area
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