Major Breeding Sites Research Articles

Control of the stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans (Diptera: Muscidae), on St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, using integrated pest management measures. III. Field techniques and population control.

In July 1974 a 3-year feasibility study was initiated on St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, on the use of the sterile-male technique as a replacement or adjunct to insecticidal or physical measures to control or eliminate the stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans. Sterile male insects, ca. 1 × 105/day (5 days/wk), were released over the 218 km2 island for 18 months in 1976–1977. Because of the large wild stable fly population, some of the major breeding sites were larvicided at intervals throughout the test. For the last 6 months of the study, better than 99.9% of the wild flies were eliminated; however, a few fertile flies were found throughout the study. These fertile flies either came from isolated breeding sites, had immigrated from other islands, or had been introduced with imported livestock and/or pets.

The distribution and abundance of the British fungal‐breeding Drosophila

Abstract. The distribution and abundance of five Drosophila species breeding in fungi are examined by attracting adult flies to baited traps and collecting fungal fruit bodies containing the larval stages. Changes in species frequency follow a temporal (seasonal and yearly), rather than a spatial (between and within woods) pattern. There is a regular diurnal pattern of activity in D.subobscura but not in D.phalerata. Temperature, light intensity, humidity and wind speed have no effect upon the daily activity of D.phalerata. Only temperature affects the activity of D.subobscura. Out of 125 species of fungi collected, only forty‐eight species produced Drosophila. However, the flies are even more selective, since only five species of fungi (Phallus impudicus, Polyporus squamosus, Amanita rubescens, Pluteus cervinus and Lactarius quietus) produce 80% of all Drosophila reared. The commonest species, D.phalerata, has two or three generations per year with a winter diapause. An outline of the yearly life cycle is given, with the major breeding sites for each generation indicated. Measures of niche overlap calculated from the data on individual fruit bodies are very low, suggesting that the five species are effectively isolated during the larval period. This ecological isolation is achieved by a summation of several niche dimensions, woodlands, seasons, fungal species, and individual fruiting body differences.

Comparative bionomics of adult austrostmulium pestilens Mackerras & Mackerras and A. bancrofti (Taylor) (Diptera, Simuliidae)

AbstractLarge numbers of adult Austrosimulium pestilens Mack. & Mack, appear about a week after floods in permanent and temporary waterways and, because of the short period when stream flow remains suitable for oviposition, mating, feeding and egg maturation take place near the river where they breed. Most flies emerge early in an outbreak and fly to mating swarms at trees beside or near the river. After obtaining a blood meal from any of a number of mammal species nearby, females return to 1–5 m tall trees at the river's edge to mature their eggs in an unusually short time of 24 h. Although this species prefers rapidly flowing water, immatures also survived in trickles remaining after floods had passed, though the resulting adults took longer to develop and were smaller than normal. The closely related A. bancrofti (Tayl.) lives in more permanent waterways and disperses away from its breeding sites soon after emerging, concentrating in highest numbers on hills as far as 10 km or more from its nearest major breeding site. Catches in CO2-baited traps were influenced by temperature, wind, light intensity and rain. Although A. pestilens bit man and many mammals, A. bancrofti did not bite any vertebrate tested. In CO2-baited traps where man was present, there were large fluctuations in the catch of A. pestilens from minute to minute, while the catch of A. bancrofti decreased steadily.