Abstract
Veterinaria Mexico OA ISSN: 2448-6760 Cite this as: Cruz Vazquez C, Carvajal Marquez J, Lezama Gutierrez R, Vitela Mendoza I, Angel Sahagun CA. Efficacy of Metarhizium anisopliae in the control of the horn fly, Haematobia irritans ( Diptera: Muscidae ), under natural infestation conditions. Veterinaria Mexico OA. 2017;4(2). doi: 10.21753/vmoa.4.2.384 . The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of the entomopathogenic fungus, Metarhizium anisopliae strain 134 (Ma134), for dairy cattle naturally infested with Haematobia irritans (L.) An aqueous formulation of 1 x 10 8 conidia/ml was applied by aspersion on a group of eight cows every seven days for a total of four applications, while a control group was sprayed with the same solution without conidial content. The degree of horn fly infestation was estimated daily in both groups by the direct count of adult flies found resting or feeding on the animals, and Abbott’s formula was used to calculate the effectiveness of the formulation. The Ma134 formulation resulted in a 68.6 % reduction of the fly infestation during the study period, and a significant reduction was observed from the first week post-application ( p < 0.05). The results show that the Ma134 formulation is effective in reducing infestations of horn fly, H. irritans , on dairy cattle under natural conditions. Thus, the fungus, Ma134, can be considered a candidate for biological control for the integrated management of H. irritans . Figure 1. Infestation index of horn flies, Haematobia irritans , on cows treated with the aqueous formulation of Ma134
Highlights
The horn fly, Haematobia irritans (L.), is common and primarily affects cattle on grass pastures in Mexico
To advance the development of this biological control, the objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness in reducing the infestation of H irritans on dairy cattle under natural conditions, by applying the strain Metarhizium anisopliae strain 134 (Ma134) of M. anisopliae by aspersion
The population curve of the horn fly, H. irritans, in the groups under study is shown in figure 1
Summary
The horn fly, Haematobia irritans (L.), is common and primarily affects cattle on grass pastures in Mexico. The horn fly was introduced from Europe to North America in the late 19th century. It is widely distributed across the American continent and is considered the major pest of livestock.[1,2] H. irritans is an obligate bloodsucking ectoparasite, always remains on cattle and feeds 24 to 38 times a open access.
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