A preliminary evaluation of a sheep blowfly trap in the Western Cape

Abstract

An insecticide-free sheep blowfly trapping system, utilising a synthetic lure, was evaluated at 4 localities in the Western Cape. Control sites, where no suppression was practised, were identified for each locality. The blowfly population was monitored for 48 hours monthly at each of the localities. Five to 7 suppression traps at the respective localities were identified for this purpose. Three to 10 traps were set monthly for monitoring in the control areas. Trapping resulted in the suppression (P <0.01) of the <em>Lucilia</em> population at Caledon, where a large area of approximately 50 km 2 was trapped. The suppression area of all the localities was =850 ha. At Elsenburg, blowfly numbers were low. There was a strong suggestion of a general reduction in the <em>Lucilia</em> numbers at this locality. Trapping failed to reduce <em>Lucilia</em> numbers at Tygerhoek and Langgewens. Lack of control over the influx of <em>Lucilia</em> from adjacent sheep-producing areas probably contributed to this result. The observed response at Elsenburg was probably due to its situation in a predominantly wine-growing area. Most of the blowflies recovered from the control traps during the month with the highest yield at the respective localities belonged to the genus <em>Lucilia</em>. The results obtained at Caledon and published reports suggest that large-scale trapping of <em>Lucilia</em> spp. may play a role in an integrated pest management system for blowflies

Suppression of populations of Australian sheep blowfly, Lucilia cuprina (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Calliphoridae), with a novel blowfly trap

“…This population suppression is in accordance with findings by Scholtz et al (2000Scholtz et al ( , 2001 in smaller trials with LuciTraps in South Africa. A reduction in sheep blowfly strike with LuciTraps was also demonstrated in Queensland (Ward 2001;Ward & Farrell 2003).…”

“…It is user-friendly with ready-to-use attractant bottles, and servicing of the trap is only required at approximately 3 month intervals (Knights et al 2008). The use of LuciTraps on sheep properties reduced the incidence of blowfly strike in Queensland (Ward 2001;Ward & Farrell 2003) and suppressed L. cuprina populations in South Africa (Scholtz et al 2000(Scholtz et al , 2001.…”

A comparison of Lucitraps® and sticky targets for sampling the blowfly Lucilia sericata

“…Our results highlight the diversity of insect behaviour, not only between species but also between geographically isolated populations of the same species. Hence, in Lucitraps, Lucilia sericata comprised 20–30% of the Lucilia catch in Tasmania (Horton et al ., 2001a) and were caught in ‘notable numbers’ in South Africa (Scholtz et al ., 2000), but not in Hungary. Direct comparison of results between the areas cannot be made because there was no comparative measure of fly population in the various regions nor the proportion of the population caught by the various traps.…”

“…Thus, in most cases, 20–30% of flies captured in Tasmania were L. sericata (Horton et al ., 2001a), but at certain sites, especially at dumps where farmers left sheep carcasses, there could be as many L. sericata as L. cuprina in the traps (Horton, B., personal communication). In South Africa, approximately 14% of Lucilia caught in Lucitraps baited with Lucilure were L. sericata , with the remainder being L. cuprina (Scholtz et al ., 2000). Clearly, there would appear to be potential for the use of Lucitraps in Europe to trap and control L. sericata , in the same way that they are being evaluated for control of L. cuprina in Australia and South Africa.…”

Behavioral responses of Chrysomya megacephala to natural products

“…Among many control measures, odor-baited trapping systems have been employed to reduce fly populations for centuries, particularly during fly-transmitted epidemics or myiasis outbreaks in livestock (Pickens et al 1994;Pickens 1995;Scholtz et al 2000). Odor-baited trapping systems have also been used to survey fly populations and their densities (Sucharit et al 1976;Pickens et al 1994;Suenaga and Kurahashi 1994;Sukontason et al 2003).…”