Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-vdxz6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-04T09:14:14.009Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Observations on some possible attractants of tsetse flies (Glossina morsitans Westw. and G. pallidipes Aust.)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

G. J. W. Dean
Affiliation:
Tsetse Research Unit, University College of Rhodesia, Salisbury, Rhodesia
S. A. Clements
Affiliation:
Tsetse Research Unit, University College of Rhodesia, Salisbury, Rhodesia
J. Paget
Affiliation:
Tsetse Research Unit, University College of Rhodesia, Salisbury, Rhodesia

Extract

Investigations into some possible attractants of Glossina morsitans Westw. and G. pallidipes Aust. have been described. In small cages (8x8x11 in.) under laboratory conditions, flies with painted eyes survived longer than those that were untreated, whilst removing the antennae decreased longevity. Olfactory stimuli were probably more important than vision in orientating a fly towards a static guinea-pig used as a host in a moulded mesh insert into the cage. Field observations indicated that tsetse flies were orientated towards an ox at a distance mainly by vision and few flies found oxen concealed by screens. Olfaction may be used at relatively short distances to find hidden host animals, and G. pallidipes may respond to smell more readily than G. morsitans.

Tests in the laboratory and small field cages (6 ft3) indicated that tsetse were not attracted to any particular colour (red, yellow, blue) or shade (white, grey, black). However, in the field more flies were caught off a dark ox than a white ox. In the laboratory > 80% of male G. pallidipes responded to black light within four hours while with G. morsitans a similar proportion was attracted only after six hours. Responses by both species decreased with blue, red and white light and were least with yellow. In small field cages attraction to black light was reduced and only 20–38·6% of either species were caught by a “flap trap” in 6–13½-h test periods. Tests with either blue or red lights in these field cages trapped less than 9% of the released tsetse flies in similar periods. Field trials with black light indicated that this attractant was ineffective as a sampling technique since very few of a natural population were trapped.

Type
Original Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1969

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

Bursell, E. (1960). Loss of water by excretion and defaecation in the tsetse fly.—J. exp. Bioh. 37, 689697.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Buxton, P. A. (1955). The natural history of tsetse flies.—Mem. Lond. Sch. Hyg. trop. Med. no. 10, 816 pp. London, Lewis.Google Scholar
Chorley, T. W. (1948). Glossina pallidipes Austen attracted by the scent of cattle-dung and urine (Diptera).—Proc. R. ent. Soc. Lond. (A) 23, 911.Google Scholar
Dame, D. A., Dean, G. J. W. & Ford, J. (1965). Investigations of the sterile male technique with Glossina morsitans.—Xth Mtg Int. Scient. Comm. Trypan. Res. 1964, 9396.Google Scholar
Dame, D. A. & Ford, H. R. (1966). Effect of chemosterilant tepa on Glossina morsitans Westw.—Bull. ent. Res. 56, 649658.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dean, G. J. W., Clements, S. A. & Paget, J. (1969). Observations on sex attraction and mating behaviour of the tsetse fly, Glossina morsitans orientalis Vanderplank.—Bull. ent. Res. 59, 355365.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dean, G. J. W., Paget, J. & Wilson, F. (1969). Observations on the behaviour of tsetse flies (Glossina morsitans orientalis Vanderplank and G. pallidipes Austen) during an attempt to concentrate breeding around cattle.—J. appl. Ecol. 6, 1326.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dean, G. J. W., Williamson, B. R. & Phelps, R. J. (1969). Behavioural studies of Glossina morsitans Westw. using tantalum-182.—Bull. ent. Res. 58, 763771.Google Scholar
Foster, R. (1957). Observations on laboratory colonies of the tsetse flies Glossina morsitans West, and Glossina austeni Newstead.—Parasitology 47, 361374.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fuller, C. & Mossop, M. C. (1929). Entomological notes on Glossina pallidipes.—Dep. Agric. Un. S. Afr. Sci. Bull. 67, 27 pp.Google Scholar
Glasgow, J. P. (1956). Tsetse research.—Rep. E. Afr. Tsetse Trypan. Res. Org. 1955–56, 920.Google Scholar
Glasgow, J. P. (1963). The distribution and abundance of tsetse.241 pp. Oxford, &c, Pergamon Pr.Google Scholar
Gui, H. L., Porter, L. C. & Prideaux, G. F. (1942). Response of insects to colour, intensity, and distribution of light.—Agric. Engng, Mich. 23, 5158.Google Scholar
Harris, R. H. T. P. (1932). Some facts and figures regarding the attempted control of Glossina pallidipes in Zululand.—S. Afr. J. Sci. 29, 495507.Google Scholar
Jobling, B. (1933). A revision of the structure of the head, mouth-part and salivary glands of Glossina palpalis Rob.-Desv.—Parasitology 24, 449490.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lewis, E. A. (1950). Tsetse flies carried by railway trains in Kenya Colony.—Bull. ent. Res. 40, 511531.Google Scholar
Lloyd, H. M. (1935). Notes on the bionomics of Glossina swynnertoni, Austen.—Bull. ent. Res. 26, 439468.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lloyd, H. M. (1940). G. brevipalpis on Maboko Island.—Tsetse Res. Rep. 1935–38, 4546.Google Scholar
Moggridge, J. Y. (1936). Experiments on the crossing of open spaces by Glossina swynnertoni.—Bull, ent. Res. 27, 435448.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morris, K. R. S. & Morris, M. G. (1949). The use of traps against tsetse in West Africa.—Bull. ent. Res. 39, 491528.Google Scholar
Napier-Bax, S. N. (1937). The senses of smell and sight in Glossina swynnertoni.—Bull. ent. Res. 28, 539582.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nash, T. A. M. (1930). A contribution to our knowledge of the bionomics of Glossina morsitans.—Bull. ent. Res. 21, 201256.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nash, T. A. M., Jordan, A. M. & Boyle, J. A. (1966). The large-scale rearing of Glossina austeni (Newst.) in the laboratory. III.—Confirmation of the value of pregnant goats as hosts.—Ann. trop. Med. Parasit. 60, 469481.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nash, T. A. M., Jordan, A. M. & Boyle, J. A. (1967). Retraction of the claim that host pregnancy affects pupal production by the tsetse fly.—Nature, Lond. 216 no. 5111, 163164.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Persoons, C. J. [1966]. Trapping of G. pallidipes and G. palpalis fuscipes using scented traps.—Rep. Afr. Tsetse Trypan. Res. Org. 1965, 4647.Google Scholar
Swynnerton, C. F. M. (1933). Some traps for tsetse flies.—Bull. ent. Res. 24, 69102.Google Scholar
Vanderplank, F. L. (1944). Studies of the behaviour of the tsetse-fly (Glossina pallidipes) in the field: the attractiveness of various baits.—J. Anim. Ecol. 13, 3948.CrossRefGoogle Scholar