A comparison of Lucitraps^® and sticky targets for sampling the blowfly Lucilia sericata

Abstract

The Lucitrap (Miazma Pty Ltd, Queensland, Australia) combined with a synthetic odour bait, Lucilure (Miazma Pty Ltd, Queensland, Australia), is a commercially available trap for sampling and control of Lucilia cuprina (Wiedemann) in Australia. It was tested in Hungary against Lucilia sericata (Meigen) (Diptera: Calliphoridae), a cause of sheep strike throughout temperate Europe. The standard Lucitrap was tested against black or yellow sticky target traps. Both trap types were baited with either Lucilure or liver and 10% w/v sodium sulphide solution. With Lucilure as bait, L. sericata were caught on sticky traps but not in Lucitraps. With liver and sodium sulphide as bait, sticky traps caught 500-1500 times more L. sericata than Lucitraps. An adhesive sheet fitted to the top of a Lucitrap captured 30-300 times more L. sericata then were captured inside an unaltered Lucitrap. Direct observation of metallic green calliphorids (92.1% L. sericata) alighting on Lucitraps indicated that most flies stayed for a short while (modal class 2-4 s) and only a few stayed longer, to an observed maximum of 28 s. Flies explored a mean of 1.5 entry holes (range 0-7) during a visit but only 6% entered the trap. Size of L. sericata was not a physical barrier to Lucitrap entry, because many larger species were captured. However, L. sericata captured inside Lucitraps were significantly smaller than those captured on sticky traps, demonstrating that size was of behavioural importance. The data demonstrate that the Lucitrap is not effective as a trap for L. sericata in Hungary, due mainly to a failure of flies to enter the trap in large numbers. In Australia and South Africa, L. sericata is commonly caught in Lucitraps baited with Lucilure, although L. cuprina is more numerous. Our study highlights the potential for diversity of fly behaviour between different geographical populations of the same species. Such diversity can have a significant effect on the functioning of systems for fly sampling and control, when these systems depend for their success on certain behavioural responses of the target species.

Efficient Mass Trapping: Catching the Pest, Calliphora vicina, (Diptera, Calliphoridae), of Norwegian Stockfish Production

“…Entry traps, or sticky surfaces that combine olfactory and visual stimuli, commonly are used to trap blowflies (Broce et al, 1977;Jiron, 1984;Anderson et al, 1990;Green and Warnes, 1992;Wall et al, 1992;Wall and Smith, 1996;Hall et al, 2003). Synthetic lures also have been developed for screwworm flies (Mackley and Brown, 1984;Horton et al, 1999;Morris, 2005;Urech et al, 2009).…”

Blowfly (Diptera, Calliphoridae) damage on stockfish in northern Norway: pest species, damage assessment and the potential of mass trapping

“…Oligosulphides originate from the decaying processes of proteins found in carcasses (Brown 1982), and it is likely that these chemicals are actively used by the primary saphrophags. Protophormia terraenovae larvae typically develop on dead animals, but they have also been reported to act as myiasis agents in cold climate regions, and to live parasitically on bird nestlings (Hall 1947;Morris and Titchener 1997;Wall et al 1992a). If the life cycle of P. terraenovae contains parasitic habits, then this species may be less attracted to decaying matter, explaining why P. terraenovae do not attack the stockfish even if it is present during production.…”

“…No such bait is commercially available for the genus Calliphora, but there are reports of attraction to oligosulphides (Nilssen et al 1996;Stensmyr et al 2002). Sticky traps and funnel/ box/entry traps are used for Diptera (Broumas et al 2002;Diaz-Fleischer et al 2009;Hall et al 2003;Navarro-Llopis et al 2008;Pickens et al 1994;Urech et al 2009), and lures can be combined with either type of trap. Furthermore, colours such as white and yellow are also known to attract the blowfly Lucilia sericata Meigen, 1826 (Wall et al 1992b), and these should be considered as possible trap colours.…”

The Importance of Oligosulfides in the Attraction of Fly Pollinators to the Brood-Site Deceptive SpeciesJaborosa rotacea(Solanaceae)

“…Recent chemical analyses of fetid odors have demonstrated that different sources of putrefaction are typified by very distinct and specific compounds, for example, urine (hexanoic acid, carboxylic acids, and pyrazines), rotting carcasses (heptanal and octanal), decaying meat and carnivore dung (oligosulfides), herbivore dung (indole and cresol), and rotting fruit (oxygenated aliphatic compounds, such as acetic acid, acetoin, and 3-methylbutanol; Kite and Hetterscheid 1997;Kite et al 1998;Stensmyr et al 2002;Jü rgens et al 2006;Goodrich and Raguso 2009;Johnson and Jü rgens 2010;Urru et al 2011). Insect-trapping studies have established that simple blends of sulfides, indole, cresol, and/or butanoic acid are effective in trapping calliphorid flies across Europe, Africa, and Australia (Hall et al 2003;Aak et al 2010). In their study of carrion-mimicking flowers and fungi, Borg-Karlson et al (1994) mentioned that flies of the genera Calliphora, Lucilia, and Sarcophaga in Scandinavia were attracted to dimethyl disulfide (DMDS).…”