Breeding Places of the Stablefly or "Dog Fly" Stomoxys calcitrans (L.) in Northwestern Florida1

Dispersal of Synanthropic Diptera: Lessons from the Past and Technology for the Future

“…Stable ßies disrupt events from the backyard to the beach, and although their presence is most often blamed on local livestock producers, larval development frequently takes place in improperly composted garden or yard waste. Large numbers of stable ßies invading the Gulf Coast of Florida at discrete intervals during the late summers and falls during the 1930s and 1940s stimulated many studies of stable ßy oviposition and dispersal behavior along the shoreline (King and Lenert 1936, Simmons and Dove 1941, Williams et al 1980). There are other sites where stable ßies have been a frequent problem for tourists, including the shores of Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, and coastal New Jersey.…”

Comparative Efficiency of Six Stable Fly (Diptera: Muscidae) Traps

“…Stable ßy larvae develop in decomposing vegetative material frequently, but not necessarily, mixed with animal wastes. Documented developmental sites include greenchop residues and postharvest refuse (Hogsette et al 1987); silage (Scholl et al 1981, Meyer andPetersen 1983); freshwater grasses and algal mats along recreational aquatic shorelines (Simmons and Dove 1941, Pickard 1968, Williams et al 1980; grass clippings, pet droppings, and poorly managed compost piles in urban environments (Haines 1953, Ware 1966, Broce 1993; and under large round hay bales (Hall et al 1982) in addition to sites associated with animal wastes (Haines 1955, Skoda et al 1991, Lysyk 1993, Skoda and Thomas 1993. Because these habitats are widespread, biologically very active, and frequently ephemeral, chemical control options are limited.…”

“…Adult stable ßies are strong ßiers requiring large-scale or areawide efforts if they are to be successful in reducing adult ßy populations. Simmons and Dove (1941) reported stable ßies "biting" Þshermen 19 km offshore of the Florida Panhandle. Using self-marking Alsynite traps, Hogsette and Ruff (1985) were able to detect dispersal from agricultural areas in northwestern Florida to coastal beaches, a distance of 225 km.…”

Stable Fly Phenology in a Mixed Agricultural-Wildlife Ecosystem in Northeast Montana

“…During peak temperatures, green algal blooms formed in Medicine Lake. Although algal deposits have been described as sites of immature development (Simmons and Dove 1941), these were once-a-year occurrences at MLNWR that typically were not seen until August, during which weekly investigations did not reveal developing stable ßies. Given that larval development occurred in the conÞnement lot and not on the peninsula and pasture, it is interesting to compare stable ßy dynamics at these three sites.…”

“…The degree to which local or long-distance dispersal contributes to population dynamics at each site may also be variable with site-speciÞc stimuli, including host availability, weather events, or both, resulting in different dispersal models (Hogsette and Ruff 1985, Taylor et al 2007, Beresford and Sutcliffe 2009. Larval habitats are poorly characterized, ephemeral environments that require decaying organic matter and moisture, but may be dramatically different substrates ranging from stored manure in dairies (Meyer and Petersen 1983) to piles of peanut hulls (Simmons and Dove 1941), silage (Williams et al 1980), animal pen litter (Haines 1955, Schmidtmann 1988, and even accumulated mayßy carcasses (Pickard 1968). Because stable ßies are so opportunistic, basic phenological data are needed from diverse habitats and regions so that naturally-occurring trends may be more broadly deÞned, and, ultimately, so that control methods may be more effectively implemented.…”