Cows painted with zebra-like striping can avoid biting fly attack

Abstract

Experimental and comparative studies suggest that the striped coats of zebras can prevent biting fly attacks. Biting flies are serious pests of livestock that cause economic losses in animal production. We hypothesized that cows painted with black and white stripes on their body could avoid biting fly attacks and show fewer fly-repelling behaviors. Six Japanese Black cows were assigned to treatments using a 3 × 3 Latin-square design. The treatments were black-and-white painted stripes, black painted stripes, and no stripes (all-black body surface). Recorded fly-repelling behaviors were head throw, ear beat, leg stamp, skin twitch, and tail flick. Photo images of the right side of each cow were taken using a commercial digital camera after every observation and biting flies on the body and each leg were counted from the photo images. Here we show that the numbers of biting flies on Japanese Black cows painted with black-and-white stripes were significantly lower than those on non-painted cows and cows painted only with black stripes. The frequencies of fly-repelling behaviors in cows painted with black-and-white stripes were also lower than those in the non-painted and black-striped cows. These results thus suggest that painting black-and-white stripes on livestock such as cattle can prevent biting fly attacks and provide an alternative method of defending livestock against biting flies without using pesticides in animal production, thereby proposing a solution for the problem of pesticide resistance in the environment.

Zebra stripes, tabanid biting flies and the aperture effect

“…Moreover, experimental tests reveal no cooling benefits associated with striped objects or striped pelts [ 6 ]. (iv) In contrast with these ideas, stripes are an established potent force in reducing landings of biting flies based on experimental studies with striped artificial targets [ 7 – 9 ], horse models [ 10 ], human models [ 11 ], painted cows [ 12 ], and comparisons of live plains zebras with domestic horses [ 13 ].…”

A Historical Review of Management Options Used against the Stable Fly (Diptera: Muscidae)

“…The use of mesh leggings and leg bands as a physical barrier (non-insecticidal) to stable flies reduced foot stomps behavior in both horses [308] and dairy cows (only leggings tested) [309]. A recent and novel approach has seen the painting of black and white stripes on livestock such as cattle, which can reduce biting fly attacks (mostly stable flies) and associated fly-avoidance behaviors [310].…”

Mosquito repellence induced by tarsal contact with hydrophobic liquids

“…In addition, the secretion of hippopotami (called red sweat) is an oily substance which protects against transdermal water loss 18 . Despite being blood hosts, hippopotami have no apparent protection method from insect biting, such as a long pelage or a coat patterning like zebras 19 – 22 . Therefore, we predicted that this exudate may provide protection against mosquitoes.…”