Flies of horses Flashcards
Flies belong to which class?
Insecta
Which family of flies is of most veterinary importance and why?
Muscidae - feed on secretions and some suck blood
- collectively called nuisance flies
Which species of fly is known as the ‘Stable fly’?
Stomoxys calcitrans
Describe the life cycle of Stomoxys calcitrans
- Feeds on blood
- Breeds inside liveries, barns, stables
- Eggs in dung are mixed in with straw and urine, damp silage/sheltered compost heaps
- Populations build up
- Dispersal between livestock on adjacent pastures
Where does Stomoxys calcitrans feed on the host?
Lower parts of the animal, especially the legs and flanks
What are the host responses to Stomoxys calcitrans?
- Stamping feed
- Shivering the skin
- Rapid head turning
- Tail swishing
- Gadding (sprinting off)
Why are Stomoxys calcitrans a worry?
- ‘Fly worry’
- Economic importance
- Mechanical pathogen transmission
What are the two species of Muscidae non biting flies?
Hydrotaea irritans - The headfly
Musca autumnalis - The face fly
How can Hydrotaea irritans be grossly identified?
Orange wing base and greenish abdomen
How do Hydrotaea irritans emerge as a problem?
One generation a year in July
Emerge on mass
Typically on wooded pasture
Most active on overcast warm days
Where are Musca autumnalis found to affect horses?
On the eyes, muzzle and face
Describe the life cycle of Musca autumnalis
- Pastured animals outdoors
- Develops on dung on pasture
- Populations build up in late autumn
Which disease is transmitted by Musca autumnalis?
Pink eye: Infectious bovine Keratoconjunctivitis
What are the two species of biting non-Muscidae flies?
- Tabanids
- Culicoides spp
Which species has a large body and head with stubby mouthparts
Tabanids
Where do tabanids breed?
In wet pastures, marshy lands, edges on ponds
What are the two genera of tabanids of veterinary importance and how can they be identified?
Tabanus - Large with clear wings
Haematopota - mottled wings
Tabanids are mechanical vectors of which 3 diseases?
- Equine infectious anaemia
- Trypanosomes
- Bovine anaplasmosis
Describe the appearance of Culicoides spp
- Wings brownish
- Black body and mottles
- Spots on wings
Describe the life cycle of Culicoides
- Dig a whole and feed on free blood
- Eggs laid in damp compost heaps
- Egg to adult in less than 3 weeks
- one/two generations a year
Which fly causes sweet itch?
Culicoides
What is the only known vector of Blue tongue in ruminants?
Culicoides
Which fly requires flowing waters to support their life cycle?
Simulium spp - black flies
What is myasis?
The invasion of living tissue by the larvae of dipterous flies
Which fly species is know as the horse bot fly
Gasterophilus spp
How can flies be controlled on liveries and farms?
- Fly insecticides: mainly SPs, can have insecticide ear tags for cattle
- Dung removal inside housing
