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Fly Season (fly + season)
Selected AbstractsBehavioural responses of dairy cattle to the stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans, in an open field environmentMEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 1 2006B. A. Mullens Abstract., Individual cows (25 in each of four herds) were monitored 8,10 times weekly for 12 weeks (stable fly season) on a southern California dairy, with 100 observations per cow. The numbers of biting stable flies, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.) (Diptera: Muscidae) on the front legs and the frequencies of four fly-repelling behaviours per 2-min observation period [head throws, front leg stamps, skin twitches (panniculus reflex) and tail flicks] were recorded. Fly numbers varied, peaking at 3.0,3.5 flies per leg in week 9 (late May). Weekly herd mean frequencies of fly-repelling behaviours were highly dependent on fly numbers, with a linear regression r2 > 0.8. Head throws and stamps were less frequent than skin twitches and tail flicks. Individual cows differed in numbers of stable flies and behaviours. Behaviours were correlated with flies for individual cows, but at a lower level than were herd means (r = 0.3,0.7). Cows that stamped more within a herd tended to have lower fly counts; other fly-repelling behaviours were less effective. Cows maintained ranks within a herd with regard to fly numbers (r = 0.47), head throws (0.48), leg stamps (0.64), skin twitches (0.69) and tail flicks (0.64). Older cows tended to harbour higher fly numbers and to stamp less relative to younger adult cows. Ratios of leg stamps and head throws to fly numbers dropped significantly through time, suggesting habituation to pain associated with fly biting. Tail flicks were not effective for repelling Stomoxys, but were easiest to quantify and may help in monitoring pest intensity. At this low,moderate fly pressure, no consistent impacts on milk yield were detected, but methods incorporating cow behaviour are recommended for future studies of economic impact. [source] Abundance of stable flies on heifers treated for control of horn flies with organophosphate impregnated ear tagsMEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 1 2004A. A. Guglielmone Abstract., Ear tags containing 40% organophosphate insecticides (diazinon or diazinon plus chlorpyrifos-ethyl) were applied to control Haematobia irritans (L.) (Diptera: Muscidae) in treated (TG01 and TG02) and untreated (UG01 and UG02) groups of Holstein heifers born in 2001 and 2002, respectively. Control and treated groups were assessed for the abundance of Stomoxys calcitrans (L.) (Diptera: Muscidae) from August 2001 to April 2002 and again from August 2002 to April 2003. The treatment had a high efficacy for control of horn flies (maximum median number per heifer of TG01 and TG02 = 5) but a low effect on the abundance of stable flies. The total numbers of S. calcitrans were 1251 (42.9% of the total) and 1668 (57.1%) for TG01 and UG01, and 1423 (48.8%) and 1494 (51.2%) in TG02 and UG02, respectively. No significant difference in stable fly burden was found in 55 of the 76 weeks evaluated. A unimodal peak of abundance in the spring was found during the first fly season, and a bimodal abundance, with peaks in the spring and autumn, during the second season. No strong associations between horn fly and stable fly burdens was found in individuals of the CG01 (correlation coefficient = 0.13, P > 0.05) or CG02 (correlation coefficient = 0.538, P < 0.05, determination coefficient = 0.289). [source] Suppression of populations of Australian sheep blowfly, Lucilia cuprina (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Calliphoridae), with a novel blowfly trapAUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 2 2009Rudolf Urech Abstract The Australian sheep blowfly, Lucilia cuprina, initiates more than 85% of fly strikes on sheep in Australia with an estimated average annual cost of A$280 million to the Australian sheep industry. LuciTrap® is a commercially available, selective trap for L. cuprina consisting of a plastic bucket with multiple fly entry cones and a synthetic attractant. The impact of LuciTrap on populations of L. cuprina on sheep properties in five Australian states was evaluated by comparing L. cuprina populations on paired properties with and without LuciTraps over seasons when significant fly populations could be expected. Twenty-four comparisons (trials) were conducted over 4 years. During times of ,higher fly density' (when the 48 h geometric mean of trap catches on the control property was greater than five L. cuprina), the overall geometric mean trap catches for control and trapped properties differed significantly (P < 0.001) with mean trap catches of 19.4 and 7.74 L. cuprina, respectively. The selectivity of the LuciTrap was confirmed with 59% of all trapped flies being L. cuprina. Chrysomya spp. and Calliphora spp. constituted 9.3% and 1.1% of the catches with a variety of other flies (mainly Sarcophagidae and Muscidae) providing the remainder (31%). Lucilia sericata was only trapped in Tasmania and made up 7.7% of the Lucilia spp. catch in that state. Seventy-two per cent of the trapped L. cuprina were female. The deployment of LuciTrap on sheep properties at one trap per 100 sheep from the beginning of the anticipated fly season suppressed the populations of L. cuprina by 60% compared with matched control properties. The LuciTrap is a selective and easy to use fly trap and constitutes an effective, non-insecticidal tool for use in integrated management programs for L. cuprina. [source] Traumatic myiasis in dogs caused by Wohlfahrtia magnifica and its importance in the epidemiology of wohlfahrtiosis of livestockMEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 2009R. FARKAS Abstract In the province of Al Hoceima, northern Morocco, and on two farms in Hungary, dogs were inspected for the presence of traumatic myiasis. Nine and four infested dogs were found in Morocco and Hungary, respectively. All the larvae and adults reared from them in the laboratory were identified as Wohlfahrtia magnifica (Schiner) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae). To our knowledge, these are the first cases of wohlfahrtiosis in dogs to be reported in these countries. All infested animals lived close to livestock, where wohlfahrtiosis was endemic. Infested body sites included limbs (six cases), external genitalia (two), ears (three), nose (one) and neck (one). Developing larvae caused severe welfare problems and tissue destruction in most cases. Although the number of cases reported here is small, wohlfahrtiosis in dogs may be very important from an epidemiological perspective because farm and stray dogs can act as both reservoirs and carriers of this parasitic fly species. Therefore, education of dog owners concerning the risk factors in endemic regions is recommended in order to reduce the prevalence of wohlfahrtiosis in dogs and thereby in livestock. Both owners and veterinarians should pay regular attention to any wounds and to the natural orifices of dogs, especially during the fly seasons. [source] |