Dispersal of Stable Flies (Diptera: Muscidae) From Larval Development Sites in a Nebraska Landscape

Abstract

Seven mark-recapture studies were conducted over 3 yr to assess dispersal of newly emerging adult stable flies, Stomoxys calcitrans L., from larval development sites in a mixed agricultural environment in northeastern Nebraska. Infested hay debris piles were marked by dusting their surfaces with fluorescent pigments, adults were captured with surrounding grids of Alsynite sticky traps, and specimens were dissected to determine feeding histories and reproductive age. Distances and directions of 3,889 marked specimens indicated males and females dispersed equally and in all directions. Midguts of males and females were equally likely to contain blood-meal remnants. Percentage with blood remnants and percentage of females with yolk increased with distance from mark origin, indicating survival and spread were positively associated with host finding success. A time-integrated diffusion model fit to results from the seven studies indicated 50% of stable fly adults had dispersed beyond 1.6 km of their natal site, but only 5% had dispersed beyond 5.1 km. These results indicate that stable fly adults on cattle in a given area are most likely to have originated from larval development sites within an ≈ 5 km radius of the subject cattle.

Substrate Properties of Stable Fly (Diptera: Muscidae) Developmental Sites Associated With Round Bale Hay Feeding Sites in Eastern Nebraska

“…Two sites where cattle had been fed hay from round bale feeders during the previous winter were selected within the pasture. Sites were typical winter hay feeding sites and similar to those used in previous studies (Taylor et al 2010;Taylor and Berkebile 2011). At each site, sixteen 15-m transects were established.…”

Phenology of Stable Fly (Diptera: Muscidae) Larvae in Round Bale Hay Feeding Sites in Eastern Nebraska

“…In winters between grazing seasons, the resident cow-calf herd is routinely fed hay from round bale feeders. This practice produces feed debris piles that consistently become stable ßy larval developmental sites when the weather warms each year (Taylor et al 2010).…”

Dewatered Sewage Biosolids Provide a Productive Larval Habitat for Stable Flies and House Flies (Diptera: Muscidae)

“…These two species also predominated in a study of biosolids in Australia (Dadour and Voss 2009); however, house ßies were more abundant representing 58% of the total. The higher abundance of stable ßies in our study may be the result of movement of ßies from a cattle feedlot located Ϸ2 km from the site, well within the dispersal range of stable ßies (Jones et al 1999, Taylor et al 2010). …”