Feeding and breeding aspects ofStomoxys calcitrans(Diptera: Muscidae) under laboratory conditions

P. Jacquiet,M. Franc,E. Liénard,A. Salem,E. Bouhsira

doi:10.1051/parasite/2012194309

Abstract

Bionomic aspects of Stomoxys calcitrans (Linnaeus, 1758) (Diptera: Muscidae) were studied under laboratory conditions. For this reason, laboratory-rearing techniques were optimized at the National Veterinary School of Toulouse. The colony was maintained at 25 ± 2 °C, 50 ± 10% RH under a 12-hour light cycle and observed daily. The size of each adult cage is 30 x 30 x 30 cm and designed to house about 500-1,000 flies. The average cycle from egg to adult was 19.2 ± 1.7 days. The mean longevity of imagos was 9.3 ± 5.8 days and not significantly different between sexes. Stable flies were split into two groups; the first was fed with blood, honey and water, and the second was fed only with honey and water. The mean weight of a blood meal was 11.1 ± 3.8 mg with no significant differences between males and females. The mean longevity of non-blood fed flies was found to be significantly higher (10.4 ± 3.9 days) than those fed with blood. The maximum lifespan was shorter for non-blood fed males (17 days) and females (18 days) than for those fed with blood (females: 24 days, males: 23 days). Under these laboratory conditions, S. calcitrans rearing was successfully established. In the end, the number of expected generations of S. calcitrans and the net reproduction rate were estimated to be 11.8 generations/year and 16.2 living females per female respectively.

Highlights

The blood-feeding cosmopolitan stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans (Linnaeus, 1758), is a major pest of cattle and horses
Sutherland (1980), Lysyk (1998) and Gilles et al (2005a, b; 2007) described in depth the effects of temperature on adult longevity and life cycle chronology. The objective of this project was to develop a simple and repeatable method for laboratory breeding of S. calcitrans adapted from previous works (Schoof, 1964; Christmas, 1970; Lysyk, 1998; Gilles et al, 2005a, b)
A colony of S. calcitrans was established in the Laboratory of Parasitology at the Veterinary National School of Toulouse (E.N.V.T.)

Summary

Introduction

The blood-feeding cosmopolitan stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans (Linnaeus, 1758), is a major pest of cattle and horses. The economic loss for the U.S cattle industry is estimated to reach $ 2,211 million per year (Taylor et al, 2012). Adults of both sexes are blood-feeders, inflicting painful bites with their long piercing proboscis, exacerbated by the absence of anesthetic components in the saliva (Cortinas & Jones, 2006). Larvae of D. hominis hatch and penetrate the skin of the warm-blooded host while being bitten by the stable fly (Rodríguez-Batista & Leite, 1997). S. calcitrans is one of the intermediate hosts of Habronema muscae and H. microstoma (Hogsette & Farkas, 2000; Rodríguez-Batista et al, 2005)

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Conclusion