Sensory and behavioural responses of the stable fly Stomoxys calcitrans to rumen volatiles

Abstract

. Analysis of volatiles from rumen digesta by gas chromatography linked antennogram recordings from Stomoxys calcitrans (L) (Diptera: Muscidae) antennal receptor cells revealed about 30 electrophysiologically active constituents, the most important of which is dimethyl trisulphide with a sensory threshold in the femtogram range. The behavioural responses of S. calcitrans to five chemostimulants (dimethyl trisulphide, butanoic acid, p -cresol, oct-1-en-3-ol and skatole) were tested in a wind tunnel where activation and attraction of hungry flies to rumen volatiles were recorded. Dimethyl trisulphide, butanoic acid and p -cresol were found to attract S. calcitrans . This sensitivity to rumen volatile constituents, that also occur in animal wastes used for oviposition by Stomoxys spp., as well as in flowers used by stable flies as sources of nectar is discussed in the context of the behavioural ecology of these flies.

Characterizing the scent and chemical composition of Panthera leo marking fluid using solid-phase microextraction and multidimensional gas chromatography–mass spectrometry-olfactometry

“…4-Methylphenol’s effect on behavior has been thoroughly researched in many animal species Bubalus bubalis 59 ; Alces alces 60 ; Glossina spp. 61–63 ; Stomoxys calcitrans 64 ; Equus caballus 65, 66 . It plays a primary role in signifying estrus status in Equus caballus and Bubalus bubalis 59 and sexual receptivity in male Equus caballus 65 .…”

Olfactory and behavioural responses of tsetse flies, Glossina spp., to rumen metabolites

“…As sulphides mainly arise from pathways involving the amino acids cysteine and methionine, they occur in small amount in livestock wastes (Mackie et al 1998) and human emanations (Bernier et al 2000). Sulphides have not yet been tested extensively on tsetse Xies but sulphide sensitivity has been described in the tropical bont tick Amblyomma variegatum (Steullet and Guerin 1992), Musca domestica (Cossé and Baker 1996) and S. calcitrans (Jeanbourquin and Guerin 2007). Moreover, dimethyl trisulphide elicited increased landing by Culex quinquefasciatus and Cx.…”

“…Moreover, dimethyl trisulphide elicited increased landing by Culex quinquefasciatus and Cx. nigripalpus on a collagen casing treated with this compound (Allan et al 2006) and attraction of S. calcitrans in a wind tunnel (Jeanbourquin and Guerin 2007), Cx. tarsalis to sticky traps (Du and Millar 1999) and seven species of Calliphoridae to traps baited with this substance (Nilssen et al 1996).…”

“…As these products formed in the foregut are continually evacuated through eructation, they may provide tsetse Xies with important cues to track ruminants across the range of habitats they have come to occupy in sub-Saharan Africa. Moreover, rumen Xuid odour has already been found to attract other haematophagous arthropods linked to large mammalian herbivores, namely the adult stage of Wve hard tick species that take large blood meals on such hosts (Donzé et al 2004) and the stable Xy Stomoxys calcitrans that is a worldwide pest of livestock (Jeanbourquin and Guerin 2007). Considering the success of tsetse Xies in exploiting herbivore mammals, especially ruminants, we hypothesised that volatiles from the rumen might serve as a source of chemostimuli for tsetse species of diVerent subgenera.…”

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

“…While stable ßies were collected along each transect, abundance was highest on cards adjacent to grazing cattle. Both visual (Agee andPatterson 1983, Zacks andLoew 1989) and chemical cues (Warnes and Finlayson 1985, Birkett et al 2004, Jeanbourquin and Guerin 2007b are known to inßuence adult stable ßy behavior. The extent of inßuence and interaction of these cues in various ecological and physiological settings is understudied (Alzogaray and Carlson 2000, Beresford and Sutcliffe 2008b) and merits further investigation.…”