2004 Volume 44 Issue 3 Pages 116-125
The housefly, Musca domestica, has several advantages for the study of circadian rhythm as an educational model animal. Because of its large body size, the signals of locomotive activity of an adult fly can be automatically recorded by using an infrared photodiode and its sensor. In this study we measured the locomotive activity of the housefly using new apparatus designed for a single adult fly. The record of the whole life of adult flies indicated that the locomotive activity of the housefly is controlled by a biological clock and it shows a circadian rhythm. A comparison between the wild type and the triple mutant, wbp (white eyes, brown body and pointed wings) showed that the mutant has a short periodicity of locomotive activity. The rhythm of locomotion seemed to be associated with the rhythm of the pupal stage in both the wild type and the mutant. These results suggest that the rhythms of a pupa and adult are controlled by a common biological clock. Our findings will provide an educational opportunity for school students to understand the importance of a circadian clock in the whole life cycle of the housefly.
