Diversity and seasonality of horse flies (Diptera: Tabanidae) in Uruguay

Abstract

20Horse flies (Diptera: Tabanidae) are hematophagous insects that cause direct and 21 indirect losses in livestock production and are important vectors of pathogens. The aim 22 the collected specimens. The environment was an important factor related to the 35 abundance of horse flies, as well as the mean temperature. The horse fly season in 36Tacuarembó started in September and ended in May, with three evident peaks, the most 37 important one during summer. No horse flies were caught during winter. Variations in 38 the prevalence of species in the different departments were observed, indicating the 39 need to carry out new sampling efforts in different areas. 40

Molecular of Anaplasma marginale Theiler (Rickettsiales: Anaplasmataceae) in horseflies (Diptera: Tabanidae) in Uruguay

“…platensis may have been due to the low number of specimens used for each of these species to detect A. marginale, with the exception of T. triangulum . This species accounted for 22% of the specimens tested, showing no detection of the pathogen, despite being one of the most frequent species in NZI traps in the department of Colonia 15 . Recently, studies detected the presence of Trypanosoma kaiowa 27 in 33% of specimens of T. triangulum in the coastal plain of Rio Grande do Sul and did not find other parasites of veterinary importance, despite the high abundance of this horsefly species in southern Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil 25 , 28 .…”

“…Another important result is the occurrence of horsefly specimens positive for A. marginale in areas free of R. microplus ticks, the main vector of this pathogen in Uruguay. On farms in the department of Colonia, tests were carried out on seven species of horsefly with high abundance that were collected in these areas, and positive specimens were found among P. lindneri , the species most frequently collected in the area 15 , and D. missionum .…”

“…A. marginale was detected in only one individual each of T. fuscofasciatus and T. tacuaremboensis . T. fuscofasciatus has a wide distribution, including the Cerrado biome in the state of Goiás to Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil 23 , 25 , Uruguay (Tacuarembó and Paysandú) 15 , Bolivia, Argentina (Salta, Santa Fe, Formosa, Chaco, Entre Ríos, and Misiones) and Paraguay 23 . This species is less abundant than others 15 , 25 .…”

“…T. fuscofasciatus has a wide distribution, including the Cerrado biome in the state of Goiás to Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil 23 , 25 , Uruguay (Tacuarembó and Paysandú) 15 , Bolivia, Argentina (Salta, Santa Fe, Formosa, Chaco, Entre Ríos, and Misiones) and Paraguay 23 . This species is less abundant than others 15 , 25 . T. tacuaremboensis was recently described 26 , and for now, this species is restricted to the Uruguayan Pampa.…”

“…There is no information on the potential of horseflies to carry A. marginale in tick-free areas or in infested areas. The Tabanidae diversity in Uruguay comprises 46 species in 14 genera 14 , 15 and allows us to infer that some species may be positive for this pathogenic agent and that, therefore, they have great epidemiological importance in anaplasmosis as well as in bovine parasitic sadness. The importance of horseflies can be even greater in locations where there is no occurrence of the biological vector, where there was no introduction of animals from areas with high infestation of ticks or where there was no possibility of fomites contacting animals on a property.…”