Scathophaga Stercoraria - Use As A Model Organism

Use As A Model Organism

Like Drosophila melanogaster, the yellow dung fly is an ideal model organism due to its short life span and susceptibility to various experimental manipulations. Initial interest in yellow dung flies came from their potential as bio-control agents against pest-flies around livestock. In the past 40 years alone, countless studies have used S. stercoraria to research topics such as sperm competition, mating behavior, sexual conflict, reproductive physiology, thermal biology, and genetics. In particular, research on yellow dung flies has contributed greatly to understanding of multiple mating systems and sperm competition.

Recently, S. stercoraria was approved by the government as a standard required test species for eco-toxicological testing. This includes evaluating the residues of veterinary drugs in livestock dung. Yellow dung flies are a key part of decomposing waste in pastures which is key to preventing the spread of endoparasites and returning nutrients to the soil. The species’ diet also serves to reduce the abundance of pest flies. To test a chemical's toxicity, the chemical is mixed with bovine faeces, to which yellow dung fly eggs are added. Then, endpoints, such as sex and number of emerged adult flies, retardation of emergence, morphological change, and developmental rate, are measured and analyzed to determine toxicity. A great deal of research has been done on the effects of avermectins on populations of S. stercoraria. Avermectins are drugs used to control endoparasites in livestock. The resulting dung contains drug residues that can have unintentional adverse effects on yellow dung fly populations, such as increased mutations and decreased offspring viability. If the use of such drugs in agriculture is not carefully monitored, there could be considerable economic losses.