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THE BIOLOGY OF SIMULIUM ARCTICUM MALLOCH IN ALBERTA. PART II. SEASONAL PARITY STRUCTURE AND MERMITHID PARASITISM OF POPULATIONS ATTACKING CATTLE AND FLYING OVER THE ATHABASCA RIVER

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 May 2012

J.R. Anderson  and
J.A. Shemanchuk
J.R. Anderson
Affiliation:
Division of Entomology and Parasitology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA94720
J.A. Shemanchuk
Affiliation:
Agriculture Canada Research Station, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada T1J 4B1
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Abstract

Dissections of flies caught attacking cattle and flying over the Athabasca River (14 June through 11 September 1974) revealed two large peaks of nulliparous females and two peaks of parous females. In both cases, peak numbers of nullipars preceded the peaks in pars. A small third cohort emerged in late August, and some nullipars were collected over the river on all sampling dates.

Around cattle, nullipars had two prominent, but brief, peaks, followed by two subsequent prolonged periods when pars were most abundant. Parity of captured females was typical of the expected seasonal pattern of parity for an anautogenous species and corroborated our previous determination of obligate anautogeny of laboratory-reared females.

Females examined for parity status were categorized as being teneral, blood-fed, gravid/ovipositing, or parasitized with a mermithid parasite (Isomermis spp.). Dissection of 2414 flies caught over the river revealed little difference in the infection rates of males and females throughout the season. Mermithids occurred primarily in nulliparous flies of the first generation and retarded the development of the reproductive organs in both sexes. Parasitism did not prevent nulliparous females from mating, nor feeding on carbohydrate or blood. A blood meal actually seemed required for maturation of the mermithid parasite. Blood-engorged females with mermithids were collected both around cattle and flying over the Athabasca River. When parasitized females with digested blood meals joined swarms of ovipositing females, mermithids were returned to the river. Nearly all flies harbored just one worm; of the 1435 parous females examined for parity, only 1 had a small mermithid. By killing flies from which they exited, the worms prevented females from taking a second blood meal.

Although flies were killed by exit of the mermithid, this parasite is ineffective against the major pest species, Simulium arcticum Malloch, because it does not prevent parasitized females from seeking and taking a blood meal and thereby harassing cattle. However, in years when nearly 50% of the emerged adults are parasitized (like 1974), this mermithid may be a principal factor regulating the population density of the S. arcticum population in subsequent years.

Résumé

Des dissections de mouches capturées qui s’attaquent aux bovins et volent au-dessus de la rivière Athabasca (du 14 juin au 11 septembre 1974) ont révélé la présence de deux grands pics de populations de femelles nullipares et de deux pics de femelles primipares ou multipares. Dans les deux cas, le plus grand nombre de nullipares précède le plus grand nombre de primipares ou de multipares. Une troisième population peu nombreuse a émergé à la fin d’août et certaines femelles nullipares ont été récoltées au-dessus de la rivière à toutes les dates d’échantillonnage.

Autour des bovins, les femelles nullipares ont affiché deux pics évidents mais brefs, suivis par des périodes prolongées où les femelles primipares ou multipares ont été les plus abondantes. La parité des femelles capturées a été typique de la tendance de parité saisonnière prévue pour une espèce anautogène et a corroboré notre détermination précédente en faveur de l’autogénie des femelles élevées en laboratoire.

Les femelles examinées pour la parité ont été catégorisées comme ténérales, nourries de sang, gravides/en train de pondre, ou parasitées par un mermithidé (Isomermis spp.). La dissection de 2414 mouches capturées au-dessus de la rivière a révélé peu de différence dans les taux d’infection des mâles et des femelles pendant toute la saison. Les mermithidés se rencontrent principalement chez les mouches nullipares de la première génération et retardent le développement des organes reproducteurs des deux sexes. Le parasitisme n’empêche pas les femelles nullipares de s’accoupler, ni de se nourrir d’hydrates de carbone ou de sang. En réalité, un repas de sang semble nécessaire pour la maturation du parasite mermithidé. Des femelles ayant ingéré du sang et parasitées par des mermithidés ont été récoltées autour des bovins et volant au-dessus de la rivière Athabasca. Lorsque les femelles parasitées ayant digéré un repas de sang rejoignaient des essaims de femelles en train de pondre, les mermithidés étaient retournés à la rivière. Presque toutes les mouches n’hébergeaient qu’un seul ver; parmi les 1435 femelles primipares ou multipares examinées pour la parité, une seule possédait un petit mermithidé. En tuant les mouches desquelles ils émergent, les vers empêchent les femelles de prendre un autre repas de sang.

Même si les mouches sont tuées par l’émergence du mermithidé, ce parasite s’avère inefficace contre la principale espèce de ravageur, Simulium arcticum Malloch, car il n’empêche pas les femelles parasitées de rechercher et de prendre un repas de sang, et donc de harceler les bovins. Mais au cours des années où près de 50% des adultes émergés sont parasités (comme en 1974), ce mermithidé pourrait jouer un rôle important dans la régulation de la densité de la population de S. arcticum au cours des années subséquentes

Type
Articles
Information
The Canadian Entomologist , Volume 119 , Issue 1 , January 1987 , pp. 29 - 44
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 1987

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