Inheritance of a White-eye Mutation in the Onion Maggot Fly, Hylemya antiqua (Meig.)

Abstract

DURING investigations of insecticidal resistance of the onion maggot, Hylemya antiqua (Meig.), a strain of flies resistant to cyclodiene insecticides was cultured in the laboratory. In one generation of about 8,000 flies, 4 males and 4 females were discovered which had white eyes in contrast to the typical red eyes. These 8 flies, which were less than 12 h old when discovered, were isolated from the others and later produced progeny which also had white eyes. Thus far this white-eyed strain has bred true through five generations. A number of experiments were afterwards conducted to determine the mode of inheritance of this white-eye characteristic by making appropriate crosses of white-eyed and red-eyed flies.