Horn Fly, Haematobia irritans irritans (L.), Overwintering

Abstract

ABSTRACT:The horn fly, Haematobia irritans irritans (L.), is an ectoparasitic blood feeder mainly on cattle. Its cosmopolitan distribution extends from boreal and grassland regions in northern and southern latitudes to the tropics. Stress and blood loss from horn flies can reduce cattle weight gain and milk production. Horn flies show substantial plasticity in their response to winter. Populations in warmer, lower latitudes have been reported to overwinter in a state of dormancy, but most overwinter as active adults in normal or reduced numbers. As latitudes increase, winters are generally colder, and correspondingly, larger percentages of horn fly populations become dormant as pharate adults (a post-pupal, pre-emergent stage) or die. Reports on the effect of elevation on horn fly dormancy at high elevations were contradictory. When it occurs, dormancy takes place beneath cattle dung pats and in the underlying soil. The horn fly's mode of dormancy is commonly called diapause, but the collective research on horn fly diapause (behavioral and biochemical) is not conclusive. Understanding the horn fly's overwintering behaviors can lead to development of pre-dormancy insecticide spray strategies in colder latitudes while other strategies must be determined for warmer regions. DISCLAIMER: Mention of trade names or commercial products in this publication is solely for the purpose of providing specific information and does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the us Department of agriculture. usDa is an equal opportunity provider and employer.COPYRIGHT: © the authors, publisher and licensee libertas academica limited. this is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the creative commons cc-BY-nc 3.0 license.

Reassessing Stephanofilaria stilesi dermatitis in cattle, with characterization of molecular markers for confirming diagnosis

“…In Texas, horn fly populations tend to drop in midsummer and winter. The peak of horn fly populations is in early fall or spring [ 27 ]. Lesions in cattle are not usually identified until 1 year of age and often start as an exudative, crusted, and bloody area of the skin [ 1 , 9 ].…”

Importancia de Haematobia irritans en la ganadería bovina de México: Situación actual y perspectivas. Revisión

“…La oviposición de H. irritans ocurre durante los primeros 2 min después de la evacuación de heces, y puede ocurrir durante el día y la noche. Una hembra puede ovipositar hasta 400 huevos, depositados en grupos de 20-25 (22) . Los huevos son ovales, cilíndricos, ligeramente curvados con un surco medial longitudinal y de color amarillo o blanco recién puestos para luego oscurecerse.…”

“…Después de siete u ocho días, los adultos emergen y buscan inmediatamente un hospedero para alimentarse (20) . La diapausa ocurre a temperaturas por debajo de los 23 °C y las pupas pueden sobrevivir períodos prolongados de exposición a temperaturas tan bajas como -5 °C (22) . En condiciones óptimas, el ciclo de vida se completa en 10 a 20 días (3) .…”

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Season‐Long Simplification of Insect Communities in Dung From Cattle Treated With an Extended‐Release Formulation of the Parasiticide Eprinomectin

“…In addition, many species of dung-breeding insects have multiple generations/year. Depending on the climate, the number of generations/year for the pestiferous horn fly is commonly 6 to 9 (Showler et al, 2014), but may be as many as 30 (Melo et al, 2020). Repeated exposure of a pest species to insecticidal residues in dung across multiple generations following a single application of LongRange to cattle may be desirable, but further enhances the risk to populations of nonpest and beneficial species.…”