Population Dynamics of Stable Flies Stomoxys calcitrans (Diptera: Muscidae) at an Organic Dairy Farm in Denmark Based on Mark-recapture With Destructive Sub-sampling

Abstract

A population of stable flies, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.), was studied on a Danish cattle farm in two successive years. Flies were captured monthly by sweep nettings and marked with fluorescent dust. Absolute population size, dilution rate, loss rate, and adult longevity were estimated by means of a modified version of Bailey's triple catch method. In both years, the abundance of flies peaked in July. Using a statistical model, we were able to explain 86.6% of the variation in the per capita growth rate r as a function of current temperature, precipitation, and population size. Omitting precipitation from the model, it still explained 69.3%. The model predicts that stable flies have a temperature optimum at 21.8°C, and that no development will take place when temperatures inside the stable are below 10.2°C or above 33.5°C. At the optimal temperature the intrinsic rate of natural increase is 0.070 d(-1). The per capita dilution rate increased with temperature and decreased with population size, whereas no effect of these factors on the per capita loss rate could be shown. Mean adult survival time was estimated to 6.3 d with 95% CL ranging from 4.3 to 11.1 d. The study points at the possibility of developing predictive models as tools for achieving better, and more environmentally sound, control of stable flies.

High relative abundance of the stable fly Stomoxys calcitrans is associated with lumpy skin disease outbreaks in Israeli dairy farms

“…The investigators believe that the highly similar annual seasonal pattern in Israel allows findings collected in one year to be extrapolated to another. Other studies have shown that trapping results display similar patterns across consecutive years (Skovgard & Nachman, 2012;Taylor et al, 2013). This is further supported by the weather model results, which, when calculated based on the actual temperature and rainfall data for the period during the outbreaks in 2012 and 2013, showed a similar pattern.…”

“…Different seasonal patterns were observed in S. calcitrans . A unimodal pattern with one annual peak is described in studies conducted in Denmark, where population peaks occur in July, and in Florida, U.S.A., where population peaks occur in March and April (Pitzer et al ., ; Skovgard & Nachman, ). Bimodal patterns with two separate annual peaks were observed in southwest France, where S. calcitrans populations peak in May–July and during November.…”

Spatial-Temporal Dynamics of Stable Fly (Diptera: Muscidae) Trap Catches in Eastern Nebraska

“…Population dynamics can be considered on two levels, spatial and temporal. Temporal dynamics of stable ßy populations have been addressed by several studies (Scholl 1986, Mullens and Meyer 1987, Lysyk 1993, Guo et al 1998, Broce et al 2005, Taylor et al 2007, Pitzer et al 2011, Skovgård and Nachman 2012. Those studies found temperature and precipitation to be primary determinants of stable ßy population levels.…”

Seasonal abundance of the stable fly Stomoxys calcitrans in southwest England

“…In New Zealand S. calcitrans were found to be most active from January to May (Heath, ). Strong relationships between stable fly population dynamics and climatic variables such as temperature and precipitation have been identified in several studies (Lysyk, ; Taylor et al ., ; Skovgård & Nachman, ). In a 13‐year study, Taylor et al .…”