Effect of surface material on electrostatic charging of houseflies (Musca domestica L)

• Published in: Pest management science Vol. 58; no. 4; pp. 374 - 380
• Main Authors: McGonigle, Daniel F, Jackson, Chris W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01.04.2002; Wiley
• Subjects: Acetals - pharmacology; Acrylic Resins - pharmacology; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Animals; behaviour; Biological and medical sciences; charge; Control; Electric Conductivity; electrostatic interactions; Female; Flight, Animal - physiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genetics and breeding of economic plants; Glass; Heterosis. Floral biology applications: apomixy, male sterility, incompatibility, varia; Houseflies - drug effects; Houseflies - physiology; Humidity; insect; insect traps; Male; Models, Biological; Musca domestica; pest management; Physical control; Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection; Plant breeding: fundamental aspects and methodology; pollination; Polymethyl Methacrylate - pharmacology; polypropylenes; Polypropylenes - pharmacology; Polyvinyl Chloride - pharmacology; Protozoa. Invertebrates; Static Electricity; Surface Properties - drug effects; surfaces; Temperature; trap; triboelectrification; walking; Muscidae; Insect pollination; Insecta; Sex; Electronegativity; Pest management; Trapping control; Humidity; Surface properties; Polarity; Body contact; Triboelectric properties; Musca domestica; Propylene polymer; Experimental animal; Positive charge; Physical control; Electric trap; Arthropoda; Acrylic acid polymer; Interindividual comparison; Invertebrata; Negative charge; Diptera; Electrostatic charge
• ISSN: 1526-498X; 1526-4998
• DOI: 10.1002/ps.463

Houseflies (Musca domestica L) accumulated electrostatic charges when walking over clean, uncharged dielectric surfaces. The charges elicited on a walking housefly by a range of materials were quantified, allowing a triboelectric series to be determined relative to M domestica. This ranged from surfaces that charged individuals positively, eg Correx (corrugated polypropylene) [+54.1 (±4.2)pC], to those that applied a negative charge, eg clear cast acrylic [−14.9 (±2.9)pC]. Maximum positive and negative charges accumulated by individual M domestica were +73 and −27 pC. Replicate measurements on the same fly and surface showed little variation. Variation between individuals was not related to sex and was not consistent between surfaces. Different materials charged M domestica significantly differently and individual flies had significantly different charging properties. Variation in temperature between 21.3 °C and 24.7 °C and humidity between 24% and 41% RH significantly affected charge accumulated by M domestica on some surfaces, although further experimentation is needed to confirm this. The implications of this work are discussed in relation to insect trap design and pollination biology.