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Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences Nov 2023The rabbit carcasses used in this study were buried at depths of 20 and 40 cm, were examined to construct a fly succession database on buried carrion in Riyadh, Saudi...
The rabbit carcasses used in this study were buried at depths of 20 and 40 cm, were examined to construct a fly succession database on buried carrion in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Twenty-four rabbits were buried, 12 at 20 cm and 12 at 40 cm. One carcass at each depth was exhumed at 10-day intervals up to 120 days. The degradation rate varied among the carcasses. Differences in species and their colonization were also found in the superficial and exhumed carcasses. Eleven species of flies were recorded on carcasses interred at a depth of 20 cm and seven species at 40 cm, while 13 species were recorded on the carcasses over the top of the soil. Species sp (Diptera: Calliphoridae), Thomson, and (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) were dominant at both depths, while (Wiedeman), (Macquart) (Diptera: Calliphoridae), Linnaeus, and Wiedemann (Diptera: Muscidae) were dominant in surface carcasses. (Loew) ((Diptera: Phoridae) is a common and typical forensic indicator that was found in the decay/advanced decay and dry stages at a depth of 20 cm. These findings are possibly useful in forensic investigations involving buried bodies in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
PubMed: 37869362
DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2023.103822 -
Experimental & Applied Acarology Apr 2022Manure-inhabiting Mesostigmata mites are important biological control agents of pest flies. However, the biodiversity of this mite community is mainly known from Europe...
Manure-inhabiting Mesostigmata mites are important biological control agents of pest flies. However, the biodiversity of this mite community is mainly known from Europe and America, and especially from cattle manure. This study examined the diversity and abundance of Mesostigmata mites associated with various types of manure in an (intensive) agricultural region of the Middle East, i.e., the city Ahvaz and its suburbs, in southwest Iran. Mite samples were extracted from manure of cattle, buffalo, sheep, horse, poultry and quail in 30 livestock and poultry farms. In total, 40 species belonging to 24 genera and 16 families were identified. The most diverse families were Laelapidae with eight species, Macrochelidae with seven and Parasitidae with six. Macrocheles muscaedomesticae and Uroobovella marginata were the most widespread species, recorded in 28 and 27 out of 30 collection sites, respectively. Two species, M. sumbaensis and U. marginata, were found in all studied manures. Simpson's diversity index recorded the highest diversity in buffalo and sheep manure. Real and theoretical species richness (rarefaction curves) were congruent in number of individuals. The presence of seven species of Macrochelidae in the manure confirms that these are important predators of the house fly for the region of Ahvaz and its suburbs. Members of the Parasitidae were highly prevalent, with one species known as a specialized predator of house fly eggs. This work aims to encourage further studies on the diversity of Mesostigmata in these agricultural settings, and further continue assessing the feasibility of these mites as effective biocontrol agents of filth flies in different types of manure and from different corners of the world.
Topics: Animals; Cattle; Horses; Houseflies; Humans; Iran; Manure; Mites; Poultry; Sheep
PubMed: 35357605
DOI: 10.1007/s10493-022-00710-1 -
Insects May 2020The stable fly, (L.) (Diptera: Muscidae), remains a significant economic pest globally in situations where intensive animal production or horticultural production... (Review)
Review
The stable fly, (L.) (Diptera: Muscidae), remains a significant economic pest globally in situations where intensive animal production or horticultural production provide a suitable developmental medium. Stable flies have been recorded as pests of livestock and humans since the late 1800s to early 1900s. Over 100 years of research has seen numerous methodologies used to control this fly, in particular to protect cattle from flies to minimise production losses. Reduced milk production in dairy cows and decreased weight gain in beef cattle account for losses in the US alone of > $2000 million annually. Rural lifestyles and recreation are also seriously affected. Progress has been made on many control strategies against stable fly over a range of chemical, biological, physical and cultural options. This paper reviews management options from both a historical and a technical perspective for controlling this pest. These include the use of different classes of insecticides applied to affected animals as toxicants or repellents (livestock and humans), as well as to substrates where stable fly larvae develop. Arthropod predators of stable flies are listed, from which potential biological control agents (e.g., wasps, mites, and beetles) are identified. Biopesticides (e.g., fungi, bacteria and plant-derived products) are also discussed along with Integrated Pest Management (IPM) against stable flies for several animal industries. A review of cultural and physical management options including trapping, trap types and methodologies, farm hygiene, scheduled sanitation, physical barriers to fly emergence, livestock protection and amendments added to animal manures and bedding are covered. This paper presents a comprehensive review of all management options used against stable flies from both a historical and a technical perspective for use by any entomologist, livestock producer or horticulturalist with an interest in reducing the negative impact of this pest fly.
PubMed: 32429109
DOI: 10.3390/insects11050313 -
Revista Brasileira de Parasitologia... 2023Over the last decades, stable fly (Stomoxys calcitrans) outbreaks associated with agricultural and/or livestock production systems have become a serious problem in some...
Over the last decades, stable fly (Stomoxys calcitrans) outbreaks associated with agricultural and/or livestock production systems have become a serious problem in some Brazilian locations. This article presents a survey on the history, evolution and mapping of such outbreaks in Brazil over five decades (1971-2020). Outbreaks (n= 579) were recorded in 285 municipalities from 14 states, mainly associated with by-products from the ethanol industry (82.7%), in natura organic fertilizers (12.6%) and integrated crop-livestock systems (3.1%). Few cases were reported until the mid-2000s, progressively increasing since then. Outbreaks associated with ethanol mills occurred in 224 municipalities, mainly in Southeast and Midwest states, while those associated with organic fertilizers (mainly poultry litter and coffee mulch) affected 39 municipalities, mostly in the Northeast and Southeast states. More recently, outbreaks in integrated crop-livestock systems during the rainy season have occurred in Midwest states. This survey highlights the magnitude of the problem of stable fly outbreaks in Brazil and its relationship with environmental public policies, agricultural production chains and regional trends. Specific public actions and policies are urgently needed to prevent their occurrence and impact in the affected regions.
Topics: Animals; Brazil; Disease Outbreaks; Muscidae; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 37018839
DOI: 10.1590/S1984-29612023017 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Nov 2021is a cosmopolitan obligate blood-feeding ectoparasite of cattle and is the major global pest of livestock production. Currently, management is largely dependent on...
Insecticidal, Repellent and Antifeedant Activity of Essential Oils from (Hook. & Arn.) Nied. Leaves and (D. Don) Florin Heartwood against Horn Flies, (Diptera: Muscidae).
is a cosmopolitan obligate blood-feeding ectoparasite of cattle and is the major global pest of livestock production. Currently, management is largely dependent on broad-spectrum pesticides, which has led to the development of insecticide resistance. Thus, alternative control methods are needed. Essential oils have been studied as an alternative due to their wide spectrum of biological activities against insects. Thus, the main aim of this study was to evaluate the insecticidal, repellent and antifeedant activity of the essential oils from leaves and heartwood against horn flies in laboratory conditions. The composition of the essential oils was analyzed using gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Accordingly, α-pinene (36.50%) and limonene (20.50%) were the principal components of the essential oil, and δ-cadinol (24.16%), cubenol (22.64%), 15-copaenol (15.46%) and δ-cadinene (10.81%) were the most abundant compounds in the essential oil. Mortality of flies and feeding behavior were evaluated by non-choice tests, and olfactory response was evaluated using a Y-tube olfactometer. Both essential oils were toxic to horn flies, with LC values for essential oil of 3.58 µL L air at 4 h, and for essential oil of 9.41 µL L air and 1.02 µL L air at 1 and 4 h, respectively. Moreover, the essential oils exhibited spatial repellency in the olfactometer using only 10 µg of each oil, and these significantly reduced the horn fly feeding at all doses evaluated. Although further laboratory and field studies related to the insectistatic and insecticide properties of these essential oils against are necessary, leaves and heartwood essential oils are promising candidates for horn fly management.
Topics: Animals; Cattle; Cupressaceae; Insect Repellents; Insecticides; Muscidae; Myrtaceae; Oils, Volatile; Plant Leaves
PubMed: 34834029
DOI: 10.3390/molecules26226936 -
Scientific Reports Oct 2022The objective of the present study was to characterize a herd of 72 ½ Angus × ½ Nellore heifers, identify the resistant, resilient and susceptible animals to...
The objective of the present study was to characterize a herd of 72 ½ Angus × ½ Nellore heifers, identify the resistant, resilient and susceptible animals to parasites, relate the overall DNA methylation of these animals with the degree of parasitism, evaluated by the egg count per gram of feces (EPG), Haematobia irritans count (horn fly) and Rhipicephalus microplus count (bovine tick). The experiment was carried out in a completely randomized design, containing 72 treatments, with each animal considered a treatment, and 11 repetitions, with each collection within a year considered a repetition. The data obtained from the counts of the evaluated parasites were subjected to statistical analysis using the SISVAR program, to classify heifers according to the degree of parasitism in low (resistant), intermediary (resilient) and high (susceptible) parasite load for infection by nematodes, infestation by ticks and flies. Addition the animals in these three groups, by hierarchical grouping using the GENES program, heifers were classified as to the degree of parasitism by the three parasites along with the DNA methylation content of the animals in each group. A negative relationship was observed between resistance and methylated DNA content in both classifications, with the resistant, resilient, and susceptible animals showing the highest, intermediate, and lowest methylated DNA quantifications, respectively. Thus, the methodologies used herein enabled the classification of 72 heifers according to the degree of collective infection by gastrointestinal nematodes and infestation by ticks and horn flies, thereby establishing a link between the degree of parasitic resistance in cattle and the global methylated DNA quantification.
Topics: Animals; Cattle; Female; Cattle Diseases; Disease Susceptibility; Genomics; Methylation; Muscidae; Rhipicephalus
PubMed: 36307501
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-22753-5 -
PloS One 2021Stable flies (Stomoxys calcitrans) are blood-sucking insects commonly associated with cattle production systems worldwide and are known to cause severe irritation to...
Stable flies (Stomoxys calcitrans) are blood-sucking insects commonly associated with cattle production systems worldwide and are known to cause severe irritation to cattle due to painful bites. Cattle react to biting stable flies with an aggregating behavior known as bunching. Bunching behavior reduces grazing or feed consumption and thus reduces cattle productivity and welfare. Cattle's fly-repelling behaviors include foot stomping, head tossing, tail switching and skin twitching. A longitudinal study was conducted in 2017 on 20 California dairies (average lactating herd size = 2,466 (SE±28.392)) during the stable fly season from April to July. The study objectives were to estimate the association between environmental factors and dairy characteristics including facility design, feed and manure management, total mixed ration (TMR) components fed to cattle, and operational pest management procedures and the outcome stable fly activity on California dairies. Stable fly activity was measured by counting stable flies on cow forelimbs (leg count) and on Alsynite traps (trap count) over the 13-week study period. Weekly leg counts were performed for cattle in lactating cow pens (31 pens from 10 study dairies) with counts made during the morning (AM) and again during the afternoon (PM). Trap counts were performed on all 20 study dairies. Data were analyzed using linear mixed models which revealed temporal variation in the average leg and trap counts with stable fly activity increasing from May to June and then decreasing to the lowest activity in July. Leg counts were higher during the afternoon compared to morning. Ambient temperatures ≤30⁰C and relative humidity (RH) measurements <50% were associated with higher leg and trap counts. Traps located at the periphery of study dairies had higher stable fly counts compared to traps located in the interior of the dairy. Cow pens with trees on the periphery had higher leg counts in comparison to pens away from trees. Specific TMR components were associated with both leg and trap counts. Dairies feeding by-products including almond hulls, wet distillers' grain, fruits, and vegetables had higher trap counts compared to dairies that did not feed these ingredients. At the pen level, pens with rations that contained straw had lower average leg counts compared to pens fed with rations that did not contain straw. A similar association was observed for pens with rations that contained wheat silage when ambient temperatures were ≤30⁰C. In contrast, pens with water added to the TMR while the RH was ≥50% had higher average leg counts compared to pens without water added to the TMR. Dairies that applied insecticides for fly control to their entire facility had lower trap counts compared to dairies that did not apply insecticides. Stable fly activity measured on California dairies using leg and trap counts varied according to the month, environmental factors, pen surroundings, trap location, TMR components, and insecticide use.
Topics: Animals; Cattle; Humidity; Insect Control; Linear Models; Longitudinal Studies; Muscidae; Seasons; Temperature
PubMed: 34320006
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0253946 -
Microbiology (Reading, England) Oct 2022The increasing occurrence of methicillin-resistant (MRSA) in the environment, food and healthcare systems is a global public health concern. MRSA is reported to cause...
Phenotypic and genotypic profiling reveals a high prevalence of methicillin-resistant isolated from hospitals, houseflies and adjacent informal food retailers in Botswana.
The increasing occurrence of methicillin-resistant (MRSA) in the environment, food and healthcare systems is a global public health concern. MRSA is reported to cause food poisoning, osteomyelitis and pyogenic infections of the skin, and consequently has been categorized as a high-priority pathogen by the World Health Organization. Here, we determined the presence of MRSA in clinical (=56), food (=150) and housefly samples (=970) collected from two hospitals in Botswana. Characterization based on phenotypic (antimicrobial resistance, biofilm production) and genotypic (antimicrobial resistance genes and integrons) profiles were performed on all isolates. Of the total samples tested, 64 were positive for MRSA following conventional culture methods and PCR amplification of the and genes for confirmation of presumptive MRSA isolates. The confirmed isolates included 71 % (95 % CI 83.2-59.6) from clinical, 9 % (95 % CI 14--4.8) from food, and 1 % (95 % CI 1.6-0.4) collected from housefly samples. In total 89 % (=57) isolates in the current study showed a multidrug resistance phenotype, among these, resistance to β-lactams and glycoside antibiotic classes were predominant. Genotypic characterization showed the domination of the gene (95 %) followed by (63 %) and (19 %) whilst was only reported in 13 % of the isolates. Integrons were detected in 50 % (32/64) of the total MRSA isolates, and we report a high prevalence of gene, detected in 67 % (43/64) of the isolates followed by 38 % (24/64) whilst (3%) was the least detected genetic determinant. The genes and were not detected in a ll the tested MRSA isolates. We provide the first report on the prevalence of MRSA isolated from the clinical-food-vector nexus harbouring biofilm and genes, and antibiotic resistance profiles in Botswana. These results are significant for risk-assessment analysis and the development of improved MRSA infection prevention and control strategies.
Topics: Animals; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus; Houseflies; Staphylococcal Infections; Prevalence; Staphylococcus aureus; Botswana; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Phenotype; Hospitals; beta-Lactams; Glycosides
PubMed: 36287593
DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001213 -
Plants (Basel, Switzerland) Sep 2022Recently, spices have attracted the attention of scientists and agrochemical companies for their potential as insecticidal and acaricidal agents, and even as repellents...
Recently, spices have attracted the attention of scientists and agrochemical companies for their potential as insecticidal and acaricidal agents, and even as repellents to replace synthetic compounds that are labeled with detrimental impacts on environment and human and animal health. In this framework, the aim of this study was to evaluate the insecticidal potential of the essential oils (EOs) obtained from three Cameroonian aromatic plants, namely (Gaertn.) Dunal, (Dunal) A. Rich., and (J. Pereira) K. Schum. They were produced by hydrodistillation, with yields of 3.84, 4.89, and 0.85%, respectively. The chemical composition was evaluated by GC-MS analysis. The EOs and their major constituents (i.e., geraniol, sabinene, α-pinene, -cymene, α-phellandrene, and β-pinene) were tested against the polyphagous moth pest, i.e., (Boisd.), the common housefly, L., and the filariasis and arbovirus mosquito vector, Say. Our results showed that and EOs were the most effective against adults, being effective on both males (22.1 µg adult) and females (LD: 29.1 µg adult). The EO and geraniol showed the highest toxicity on with LD values of 29.3 (123.5) and 25.3 (83.2) µg larva, respectively. Last, the EOs from and , as well as the major constituents -cymene and α-phellandrene, were the most toxic against larvae. The selected EOs may potentially lead to the production of cheap and effective botanical insecticides for African smallholders, although the development of effective formulations, a safety evaluation, and an in-depth study of their efficacy on different insect species are needed.
PubMed: 36145754
DOI: 10.3390/plants11182353 -
The ISME Journal Oct 2022To ensure dispersal, many parasites and pathogens behaviourally manipulate infected hosts. Other pathogens and certain insect-pollinated flowers use sexual mimicry and...
To ensure dispersal, many parasites and pathogens behaviourally manipulate infected hosts. Other pathogens and certain insect-pollinated flowers use sexual mimicry and release deceptive mating signals. However, it is unusual for pathogens to rely on both behavioural host manipulation and sexual mimicry. Here, we show that the host-specific and behaviourally manipulating pathogenic fungus, Entomophthora muscae, generates a chemical blend of volatile sesquiterpenes and alters the profile of natural host cuticular hydrocarbons in infected female housefly (Musca domestica) cadavers. Healthy male houseflies respond to the fungal compounds and are enticed into mating with female cadavers. This is advantageous for the fungus as close proximity between host individuals leads to an increased probability of infection. The fungus exploits the willingness of male flies to mate and benefits from altering the behaviour of uninfected male host flies. The altered cuticular hydrocarbons and emitted volatiles thus underlie the evolution of an extended phenotypic trait.
Topics: Animals; Cadaver; Diptera; Female; Flowers; Houseflies; Hydrocarbons; Male
PubMed: 35831484
DOI: 10.1038/s41396-022-01284-x