Abundance of stable flies on heifers treated for control of horn flies with organophosphate impregnated ear tags.

Ear tags containing 40% organophosphate insecticides (diazinon or diazinon plus chlorpyrifos-ethyl) were applied to control Haematobia irritans (L.) (Diptera: Muscidae) in treated (TG01 and TG02) and untreated (UG01 and UG02) groups of Holstein heifers born in 2001 and 2002, respectively. Control and treated groups were assessed for the abundance of Stomoxys calcitrans (L.) (Diptera: Muscidae) from August 2001 to April 2002 and again from August 2002 to April 2003. The treatment had a high efficacy for control of horn flies (maximum median number per heifer of TG01 and TG02 = 5) but a low effect on the abundance of stable flies. The total numbers of S. calcitrans were 1251 (42.9% of the total) and 1668 (57.1%) for TG01 and UG01, and 1423 (48.8%) and 1494 (51.2%) in TG02 and UG02, respectively. No significant difference in stable fly burden was found in 55 of the 76 weeks evaluated. A unimodal peak of abundance in the spring was found during the first fly season, and a bimodal abundance, with peaks in the spring and autumn, during the second season. No strong associations between horn fly and stable fly burdens was found in individuals of the CG01 (correlation coefficient = 0.13, P > 0.05) or CG02 (correlation coefficient = 0.538, P < 0.05, determination coefficient = 0.289).

Long-term study of Haematobia irritans (Diptera: Muscidae) seasonal distribution in central Argentina with focus on winter fly abundance.

The seasonal distribution of Haematobia irritans (Linnaeus, 1758) was evaluated at 31 degrees 12' S-61 degrees 29' W, Santa Fe, Argentina from November 1992 to August 2000 by weekly fly counts on 20 Holstein cows not treated against ectoparasites. The analysis was mainly focused on winter fly abundance. Two peaks of abundance were found from spring to autumn. Adults of H. irritans were consistently found on cattle during winter, with increasing numbers from the end of July to late August. The only climatic parameter soundly correlated with the four week period, before each winter fly count, was the mean air temperature with the exception of year 1998. No significant relationship was found between level of cow infestation and relative humidity, saturation deficit and rainfall. Horn fly infestation on cows was lower than 20% from end of June to end of August only in 1995, when mean air temperature was consistently lower than 11 degrees C during the four week period previous to most fly counts. Conversely, the mean temperature was higher than 12 degrees C previous to fly counts in 1998, when most cows remained infested. The results indicate that a proportion (unknown) of immature stages of H. irritans were insensitive to diapause inducing factors and developed through winter.