Aleochara notula Erichson, 1839 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) as a natural enemy of dipterans in chicken and cattle feces in Brazil

Abstract

The feces in chicken farms and in cattle raising causes accumulations of manure that are an excellent substrate for the proliferation of Diptera. To control these insects, a management program must integrate cultural, chemical, and biological methods. This study reports the occurrence of Aleochara notula Erichson, 1839 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) in chicken and cattle feces in Brazil. Manure samples, collected at two-week intervals, were taken to the laboratory and the pupae were extracted by water flotation. Each pupa was placed in colorless gelatin capsules until the appearance of the flies or their parasitoids. Percentages of parasitism in chicken and cattle feces were 0.33% and 0.3%, respectively.