Effect on milk production of controlling muscid flies, and reducing fly-avoidance behaviour, by the use of Fenvalerate ear tags during the dry period

Harris, Jeanette A.; Hillerton, J.E.; Morant, Steven V.

doi:10.1017/s0022029900025309

Cited by 39 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…The animal hosts of tabanids may suffer high fitness costs, as several of the diseases transmitted by bloodsucking dipterans have lethal effects on the hosts (Foil, 1989;Hall et al, 1998). In addition, the biting of tabanids may prevent the animals from grazing in exposed areas or during certain parts of the day, as they have to seek shelter in the shade to escape from the attacks (Horváth et al, 2010), resulting in reduction of body mass and milk production (Hunter and Moorhouse, 1976;Harris et al, 1987;Lehane, 2005). Parasites have been shown to be a strong selective agent in mammals and birds and may lead to the evolution of exaggerated traits such as antlers in gazelles and deer as well as bright and elongated plumage characteristics in birds (e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Horseflies, or tabanids (Tabanidae), are vectors of several dangerous pathogens (Foil, 1989;Hall et al, 1998) and, if irritated by them, horses and cattle cannot graze, the consequence of which is the reduction of their body mass and milk production (Hunter and Moorhouse, 1976;Harris et al, 1987;Lehane, 2005). This suggests negative fitness consequences for animals that attract tabanid flies.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Polarotactic tabanids find striped patterns with brightness and/or polarization modulation least attractive: an advantage of zebra stripes

Egri

Blahó

Kriska

et al. 2012

Journal of Experimental Biology

115

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SUMMARYThe characteristic striped appearance of zebras has provoked much speculation about its function and why the pattern has evolved, but experimental evidence is scarce. Here, we demonstrate that a zebra-striped horse model attracts far fewer horseflies (tabanids) than either homogeneous black, brown, grey or white equivalents. Such biting flies are prevalent across Africa and have considerable fitness impact on potential mammalian hosts. Besides brightness, one of the likely mechanisms underlying this protection is the polarization of reflected light from the host animal. We show that the attractiveness of striped patterns to tabanids is also reduced if only polarization modulations (parallel stripes with alternating orthogonal directions of polarization) occur in horizontal or vertical homogeneous grey surfaces. Tabanids have been shown to respond strongly to linearly polarized light, and we demonstrate here that the light and dark stripes of a zebraʼs coat reflect very different polarizations of light in a way that disrupts the attractiveness to tabanids. We show that the attractiveness to tabanids decreases with decreasing stripe width, and that stripes below a certain size are effective in not attracting tabanids. Further, we demonstrate that the stripe widths of zebra coats fall in a range where the striped pattern is most disruptive to tabanids. The striped coat patterns of several other large mammals may also function in reducing exposure to tabanids by similar mechanisms of differential brightness and polarization of reflected light. This work provides an experimentally supported explanation for the underlying mechanism leading to the selective advantage of a black-and-white striped coat pattern. Supplementary material available online at

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Polarotactic tabanids find striped patterns with brightness and/or polarization modulation least attractive: an advantage of zebra stripes

Egri

Blahó

Kriska

et al. 2012

Journal of Experimental Biology

115

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“…Calves may increase counts of ear flicks, tail switches, and foot stomps following painful procedures, but these behaviors may also increase with high insect burden. 32,33 These behavioral counts are not specific for pain or wellness status, but they are cost effective and relatively easy to obtain through live observations or video analysis.…”

Section: Observer Monitoring Frequency Of Specific Behaviormentioning

confidence: 99%

Remote Noninvasive Assessment of Pain and Health Status in Cattle

Theurer¹,

Amrine²,

White³

2013

Veterinary Clinics of North America: Food Animal Practice

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SynopsisCattle behavior is frequently monitored to determine health and wellness state of the animal. The objective of this review is to describe potential benefits and challenges of remotely monitoring cattle behavior with available methodologies including clinical illness scores, visual monitoring, accelerometers, pedometers, feed intake and behavioral monitoring, global position systems, real time location systems, thermography images, and rumen telemetry temperature bolus. The behavior of interest, labor required, and monitoring expenses all need to be taken into consideration before deciding which remote behavioral monitoring device is most appropriate.Monitoring the feeding behavior of an animal over a period of time allows establishment of a baseline against which deviations in subsequent behavioral patterns can be evaluated.Interpretation of multiple behavioral responses as an aggregate indicator of animal wellness status rather than as individual outcomes may be a more accurate measure of true state of animal pain or wellness status. Key Points Cattle behavior is frequently monitored to determine health and wellness state.

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“…While we may not be aware of the significant loss of blood that an animal in nature may experience from biting flies, we are familiar with the diseases that are transmitted by flying insects. Animals have a variety of fly-repelling behaviours, including ear twitching, head-tossing, leg stamping, muzzle flicking, muscle twitching and tail switching [13][14][15][16][17]. When biting fly intensity is high, fly-repelling behaviour increases and those that engage in the most fly-repelling have fewer biting flies around them.…”

Section: Natural Defence Strategies In Animals Against Pathogens and mentioning

confidence: 99%

Behavioural defences in animals against pathogens and parasites: parallels with the pillars of medicine in humans

Hart

2011

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

155

139

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No other theme in animal biology seems to be more central than the concept of employing strategies to survive and successfully reproduce. In nature, controlling or avoiding pathogens and parasites is an essential fitness strategy because of the ever-present disease-causing organisms. The diseasecontrol strategies discussed here are: physical avoidance and removal of pathogens and parasites; quarantine or peripheralization of conspecifics that could be carrying potential pathogens; herbal medicine, animal style, to prevent or treat an infection; potentiation of the immune system; and care of sick or injured group members. These strategies are seen as also encompassing the pillars of human medicine: (i) quarantine; (ii) immune-boosting vaccinations; (iii) use of medicinal products; and (iv) caring or nursing. In contrast to animals, in humans, the disease-control strategies have been consolidated into a consistent and extensive medical system. A hypothesis that explains some of this difference between animals and humans is that humans are sick more often than animals. This increase in sickness in humans leading to an extensive, cognitively driven medical system is attributed to an evolutionary dietary transition from mostly natural vegetation to a meat-based diet, with an increase in health-eroding free radicals and a dietary reduction of free-radical-scavenging antioxidants.

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Effect on milk production of controlling muscid flies, and reducing fly-avoidance behaviour, by the use of Fenvalerate ear tags during the dry period

Cited by 39 publications

References 4 publications

Polarotactic tabanids find striped patterns with brightness and/or polarization modulation least attractive: an advantage of zebra stripes

Polarotactic tabanids find striped patterns with brightness and/or polarization modulation least attractive: an advantage of zebra stripes

Remote Noninvasive Assessment of Pain and Health Status in Cattle

Behavioural defences in animals against pathogens and parasites: parallels with the pillars of medicine in humans

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