LAB TOUR Part 5
Rearing the pupae
When ants on the colony die they are placed by other ants in the midden pile. If the ant was infected by a phorid fly, then the head of the ant falls off and the fly continues to pupate in the ant head capsule.
![Depositing Phorid fly Pupae on Plaster](Images/DepositPupaeOnPlaster.JPG)
A lab technician deposits the fly pupae on a sterile, moist plaster- lined tray so that it can be watered and kept at high humidity until the fly emerges.
![Counting phorid fly Pupae](Images/CountingPupae.JPG)
A lab tech looks through the midden piles to count the pupae.
![Phorid Fly Pupae incubation](Images/PupaeInFridge.JPG)
Many trays of developing fly pupae and midden are kept in the lab at constant temperature and humidity.
Go to:
Main Menu, Lab Tour intro
1. Drip line, 2. Formicary, 3. Sieving, 4. Mass Attack, 5. Rearing pupae