Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T18:34:41.959Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Mortality of eggs and larvae of the bush fly, Musca vetustissima Walker (Diptera: Muscidae), caused by scarabaeine dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in favourable cattle dung

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

T. J. Ridsdill-Smith ,
L. Hayles  and
M. J. Palmer
T. J. Ridsdill-Smith
Affiliation:
Division of Entomology, CSIRO, Private Bag, P.O. Wembley, Western Australia 6014, Australia
L. Hayles
Affiliation:
Division of Entomology, CSIRO, Private Bag, P.O. Wembley, Western Australia 6014, Australia
M. J. Palmer
Affiliation:
Division of Mathematics and Statistics, CSIRO, Private Bag, P.O. Wembley, Western Australia 6014, Australia
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The mortality of eggs and larvae of Musca vetustissima Walker, caused by two scarabaeine dung beetles was measured in the laboratory in favourable cattle dung at 23°C. Eggs and larvae less than one day old were the main stages killed in the dung. Mortality from beetles that entered dung immediately after fly oviposition was higher than that from beetles that entered the dung one or three days later. The results also indicated that there are differences between species of dung beetles in the mode of action against the fly. The smaller beetle species, Onthophagus binodis (Thunberg), at densities of 120 beetles/pad caused increased mortalities of 12% of fly eggs and 11% of young larvae but did not affect older larvae, while the larger species, O. ferox Harold, at densities of 48 beetles/pad caused no extra mortality of eggs but did cause an increased mortality of 47% of young fly larvae and 61% of older larvae.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Bulletin of Entomological Research , Volume 77 , Issue 4 , December 1987 , pp. 731 - 736
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1987

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bornemisszma, G. F. (1970). Insectary studies on the control of dung breeding flies by the activity of the dung beetle, Onthophagus gazella F. (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae).—J. Aust. entomol. Soc. 9, 31–41.Google Scholar
Hughes, R. D., Greenham, P. M., Tyndale-Biscoe, M. & Walker, J. M. (1972). A synopsis of observations on the biology of the Australian bushfly (Musca vetustissima Walker).—J. Aust. entomol. Soc. 11, 311–331.Google Scholar
Hughes, R. D., Tyndale-Biscoe, M. & Walker, J. (1978). Effects of introduced dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) on the breeding and abundance of the Australian bushfly, Musca vetustissima Walker (Diptera: Muscidae).—Bull. ent. Res. 68, 361–372.Google Scholar
McCullagh, P. & Nelder, J. A. (1983). Generalized linear models.—261 pp. London & New York, Chapman & Hall.Google Scholar
Ridsdill-Smith, T. J. (1981). Some effects of three species of dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in south-western Australia on the survival of the bush fly, Musca vetustissima Walker (Diptera: Muscidae), in dung pads.—Bull. ent. Res. 71, 425–433.Google Scholar
Ridsdill-Smith, T. J. & Hall, G. P. (1984). Beetles and mites attracted to fresh cattle dung in southwestern Australian pastures.—Rep. Div. Ent. C.S.I.R.O. Aust. no. 34, 1–29.Google Scholar
Ridsdill-Smith, T. J., Hayles, L. & Palmer, M. J. (1986). Competition between the bush fly and a dung beetle in dung of differing characteristics.—Entomologia exp. appl. 41, 83–90.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ridsdill-Smith, T. J. & Matthiessen, J. N. (1984). Field assessments of the impact of night-flying dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) on the bush fly, Musca vetustissima Walker (Diptera: Muscidae), in south-western Australia.—Bull. ent. Res. 74, 191–195.Google Scholar
Sutherst, R. W., Macqueen, A., Kelley, B. M., Stegeman, D. A., Asher, K. G. & Tozer, R. S. (1987). Mechanized extraction of arthropods from cattle dung.—Bull. ent. Res. 77, 239–246.Google Scholar
Wallace, M. M. H. & Tyndale-Biscoe, M. (1983). Attempts to measure the influence of dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) on the field mortality of the bush fly Musca vetustissima Walker (Diptera: Muscidae) in south-eastern Australia.—Bull. ent. Res. 73, 33–44.Google Scholar