Effect of attraction factors on the sampling of Chrysops silacea and C. dimidiata (Diptera : Tabanidae), vectors of Loa loa (Filaroidae : Onchocercidae) filariasis

The effects of fire and human host density on #Chrysops silacea and #C. dimidiata abundance and age structure was evaluated at sites of #Loa loa filariasis transmission in the Congo rain forest. Fire increased the catch of #C. silacea 8.5-fold at ground level and 5-fold in the canopy, but did not modify the catch size of #C. dimidiata. Catch size increased 2-fold when a pygmy camp located near the collecting station was inhabited. The presence of fire did not alter the parity and #Loa loa infection rates in the populations. (Résumé d'auteur