Seasonality and daily flight activity of stable flies (Diptera: Muscidae) on dairy farms in Saraburi Province, Thailand

Knowledge of seasonal abundance and flight activity patterns are required to design effective management programs for insect pests of humans and livestock. In this study, the seasonality and daily flight activity of Stomoxys species were observed on two dairy farms in Saraburi Province, Thailand. Data were assessed throughout 1 year using Vavoua traps from September 2010 to August 2011. A total of 2,520 individuals belonging to four species were collected. Most Stomoxys species peaked in September (rainy season) and gradually decreased in number toward February (dry season); a second peak occurred between March and April (hot season). Stomoxys calcitrans was caught throughout the year and was the most abundant species in this study. The total number of males and females of S. calcitrans differed significantly among seasons and time intervals. The weather parameters of relative humidity and light intensity were significantly correlated with S. calcitrans abundance

Species diversity and biting activity of <it>Anopheles dirus</it> and <it>Anopheles baimaii</it> (Diptera: Culicidae) in a malaria prone area of western Thailand

Abstract Background A survey of adult anopheline mosquito diversities, collected from September 2009 to August 2010, was conducted in a malaria endemic area of western Thailand. Two anopheline species complexes, Dirus and Minimus, along with the Maculatus group were observed. Of several species documented from within each complex and group, four important malaria vectors were identified, including An. dirus, An. baimaii, An. minimus, and An. sawadwongporni. Information on biting activity and host preference for any single species within the Dirus complex has never been assessed. Using specific molecular identification assays, the trophic behavior and biting activity of each sibling species within the Dirus complex were observed and analyzed for the Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand. Methods Adult female mosquitoes were collected for two consecutive nights each month during a one year period. Three collection methods, human landing indoor (HLI), human landing outdoor (HLO), and cattle baited collections (CBC) were applied. Each team of collectors captured mosquitoes between 1800 and 0600 h. Results From a total of 9,824 specimens, 656 belong to the Dirus complex (An. dirus 6.09% and An. baimaii 0.59%), 8,802 to the Minimus complex (An. minimus 4.95% and An. harrisoni 84.65%) and 366 to the Maculatus group (An. maculatus 2.43% and An. sawadwongporni 1.29%). Both An. dirus and An. baimaii demonstrated exophagic and zoophilic behaviors. Significantly greater numbers of An. dirus and An. baimaii were collected from cattle as compared to humans (P = 0.003 for An. dirus and P = 0.048 for An. baimaii). Conclusions Significantly greater numbers of An. dirus and An. baimaii were collected from cattle baited traps as compared to human landing collections (P < 0.05), demonstrating that both species show a strong zoophilic behavior. Knowledge of host-seeking behavior helps to define a species' capacity to acquire and transmit malaria and its contribution to the overall risk for disease transmission in the human population, as well as, assisting in the design and implementation of appropriate vector prevention and control strategies.</p

Geographic Distribution of Stomoxyine Flies (Diptera: Muscidae) and Diurnal Activity of Stomoxys calcitrans in Thailand

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