Abstract
House flies (Diptera: Muscidae), potential vectors of a variety of pathogens, characteristically search and feed on sugar sources just after emergence for their survival. Phagostimulants like sugars, and visual characteristics of feeding materials play an important role in foraging success in house flies. Therefore, development of toxic baits by using the combination of phagostimulant and visual lure may prove effective in localized control of house flies. In the present study, visual attraction of house flies to different fabric colors was studied in choice and no choice experiments. Dark blue was the most preferred color in both experiments. In toxicity experiments, insecticide solutions were prepared in 20% sugar solution. Dark blue fabric strips were prepared by moistening with 20% sugar water solution containing median lethal concentrations of one of the four insecticides viz., fipronil, Imidacloprid, indoxacarb and Spinosad. The fabric strips treated with fipronil and Imidacloprid took minimum time (7.66 and 7.81 h, respectively) to cause 50% mortality, while those treated with Spinosad and indoxacarb took relatively more time (13.62 and 17.91 h, respectively) to cause 50% mortality. In conclusion, the combination of phagostimulant and visual lure could be used in designing toxic baits for house flies.
Highlights
House flies, Musca domestica, are among the major ectoparasites of livestock that have the potential to transmit a number of diseases in urban and rural settlements [1]
Since insecticides used in baits are localized in nature, attraction factors should be explored to make the baits successful in the house fly management [7]
Keeping in view the importance of toxic baits, following studies were carried out to: 1) evaluate the preference of house flies towards different colored fabric strips in “choice” and “no choice” experiments; 2) evaluate relative efficacies of different insecticides along with phagostimulant coated on colored fabric strips
Summary
Musca domestica, are among the major ectoparasites of livestock that have the potential to transmit a number of diseases in urban and rural settlements [1]. The success of toxic baits may depend on many factors like the use of phagostimulants, visual and/or olfactory lures to attract and kill fly populations.
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