Seasonal abundance of Musca domestica L. and Stomoxys calcitrans (L.) at a dairy in Northcentral Florida was studied from September 2001 through September 2002. Four cylindrical alsynite traps were set out weekly near a milking parlor, a calf pen, a pastured open field and a bunker silo. Stable flies were active from December through April and showed two small population peaks in January and February followed by a larger peak in April. The three peaks were related to average temperatures around 20 degrees. The number of stable fly captured dropped dramatically in May when the average temperature was about 25 degrees and it was followed by much smaller peaks in the months of July and August associated with fall rains. The highest numbers of stable flies were captured at the milking parlor (142 flies/week in average) and at the pastured area (65 flies/week in average). Even thought the alsynite trap is not as efficient in trapping house flies as stable flies, house fly captures were much higher than those of stable fly; they were active from September to December with the largest peak in the middle of September in the calf pen trap (1814 flies). House fly activity decreased from January to March but it started to increase again from May through September with a noticeable peak in June which was associated to temperatures around 25 degrees and an increases in rains. The highest weekly house fly averages were detected at the calf pen and at the milking parlor trap.
Species 1: Diptera Muscidae Musca domestica (House fly)
Species 2: Diptera Muscidae Stomoxys calcitrans (Stable fly)
Keywords: Filth flies, Fly population
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