Pyrethroid and organophosphate pesticide resistance in field populations of horn fly in Brazil

Pesticides are used worldwide to control arthropod parasites in cattle herds. The indiscriminate and/or inappropriate use of pesticides without veterinary guidance is a reality in several countries of South America. Improper pesticide use increases the chances of contamination of food and the environment with chemical pesticides and their metabolites. Reduction of these contamination events is an increasing challenge for those involved in livestock production. The horn fly, Haematobia irritans (Linnaeus) (Diptera: Muscidae), is one of the most economically important parasites affecting cattle herds around the world. As such, horn fly control efforts are often required to promote the best productive performance of herds. Pesticide susceptibility bioassays revealed that pyrethroid resistance was widespread and reached high levels in horn fly populations in the Brazilian state of Rondônia. The knockdown resistance (kdr) sodium channel gene mutation was detected in all horn fly populations studied (n = 48), and the super kdr sodium channel gene mutation was found in all homozygous resistant kdr individuals (n = 204). Organophosphate resistance was not identified in any of the fly populations evaluated.     

Molecular characterization of mariner‐like elements in emerald ash borer,Agrilus planipennis (Coleoptera,Polyphaga)

Emerald ash borer (EAB, Agrilus planipennis), an exotic invasive pest, has killed millions of ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) in North America and continues to threaten the very survival of the entire Fraxinus genus. Despite its high‐impact status, to date very little knowledge exists for this devastating insect pest at the molecular level. Mariner‐like elements (MLEs) are transposable elements, which are ubiquitous in occurrence in insects and other invertebrates. Because of their low specificity and broad host range, they can be used for epitope‐tagging, gene mapping, and in vitro mutagenesis. The majority of the known MLEs are inactive due to in‐frame shifts and stop codons within the open reading frame (ORF). We report on the cloning and characterization of two MLEs in A. planipennis genome (Apmar1 and Apmar2). Southern analysis indicated a very high copy number for Apmar1 and a moderate copy number for Apmar2. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that both elements belong to the irritans subfamily. Based on the high copy number for Apmar1, the full‐length sequence was obtained using degenerate primers designed to the inverted terminal repeat (ITR) sequences of irritans MLEs. The recovered nucleotide sequence for Apmar1 consisted of 1,292 bases with perfect ITRs, and an ORF of 1,050 bases encoding a putative transposase of 349 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence of Apmar1 contained the conserved regions of mariner transposases including WVPHEL and YSPDLAP, and the D,D(34)D motif. Both Apmar1 and Apmar2 could represent useful genetic tools and provide insights on EAB adaptation. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Detection of Campylobacter and Escherichia coli O157:H7 from filth flies by polymerase chain reaction

Flies (Diptera: Muscidae) that breed in faeces and other organic refuse (filth flies) have been implicated as vectors of pathogenic bacteria including Escherichia coli O157:H7, which cause haemorrhagic colitis in humans, and Campylobacter, which is the principal causative agent of human enteritis. The potential role of filth flies in the epidemiology of these pathogens in the United States was investigated by examining the prevalence of Campylobacter spp. and E. coli O157:H7 from two Arkansas turkey facilities. Polymerase chain reaction was conducted on DNA extractions of individual Musca domestica Linnaeus, Stomoxys calcitrans (Linnaeus), Hydrotaea aenescens (Wiedemann), Adia cinerella Fallen and turkey faecal samples using primers specific for E. coli H7, O157 and Campylobacter spp. Culturing verified that the flies were carrying viable Campylobacter spp. and E. coli O157:H7. Results from this study indicated that M. domestica, S. calcitrans, H. aenescens and Anthomyids are capable of carrying Campylobacter in North American poultry facilities and that the E. coli O157:H7 is carried by house flies and black dump flies associated with poultry. This PCR method provided a rapid and effective method to identify Campylobacter spp. and E. coli O157:H7 directly from individual filth flies.     

Variation in the load of the horn fly, Haematobia irritans, in cattle herds is determined by the presence or absence of individual heifers

The distribution of horn flies, Haematobia irritans (L.) (Diptera: Muscidae), in herds of Danish Holstein-Friesian cattle was investigated in two studies conducted during two field seasons. In the first study, highly significant differences in fly distribution between the most and the least fly-susceptible heifers were observed. In one herd, the mean difference between the most fly-susceptible and the most fly-resistant heifers was 268 Ha. irritans specimens. The highest ratio between upper and lower mean fly number was 64.1:1, whereas the lowest was 3.1:1. In the second year, it was demonstrated that the heifers kept their rank in fly attraction over time. The trial clearly demonstrated that some heifers were attracting flies, whereas others, even in the same herd, only carried a few. In the second study, heifers were moved in and out of herds in an attempt to manipulate fly loads in the herds. In year 1, one herd (herd A) received four fly-resistant heifers from another herd (herd B), resulting in a drop in the mean number of flies, whereas herd B received four fly-susceptible heifers from herd A, resulting in an elevation of the mean number of flies. In year 2, a similar pattern emerged using herds C and D, and when the cattle were later returned to their original herds, the fly loads returned to their original distribution. The data presented here show unequivocally that, for horn flies, there can be considerable differences in fly loads for individual heifers within the Holstein-Friesian breed. Furthermore, the overall fly load within herds can be manipulated, and can be reversed. Thus, the distribution in the number of flies within a herd appears to depend on the number of fly-resistant or fly-susceptible heifers. The possible role of chemical factors emitted by heifers, i.e. volatile semiochemicals, in determining differences in fly loads is discussed, whereby attractants are emitted by fly-susceptible heifers and enable flies to locate their host, and repellents are emitted by fly-resistant heifers such that the flies are actively repelled from the herd.     

Larvicidal activity of endectocides against pest flies in the dung of treated cattle

Cattle were treated with topical formulations of endectocides to assess the larvicidal activity of faecal residues against horn fly, Haematobia irritans (L.), house fly, Musca domestica L., and stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.) (Diptera: Muscidae). In laboratory bioassays, doramectin, eprinomectin and ivermectin suppressed horn fly in dung of cattle treated at least 4 weeks previously and suppressed house fly and stable fly in dung of cattle treated 1-5 weeks previously. Moxidectin suppressed horn fly in dung from cattle treated no more than one week previously and did not suppress house fly and stable fly. Results combined for the three species across two experiments suggested that, ranked in descending order of larvicidal activity, doramectin > ivermectin approximately = eprinomectin > moxidectin.     

齿股绳属二新种（双翅目：蝇科）

本文记述了蝇科齿股蝇属Ｈｙｄｒｏｔａｅａ虎股齿股蝇Ｈｙｄｒｏｔａｅａｔｉｇｒｉｆｅｍｏｒａｔａｓｐ．ｎｏｖ,豹股齿股蝇Ｈｙｄｒｏｔａｅａｐａｒｄｉｒｅｍｏｒａｔａｓｐ．ｎｏｖ．二新种,均隶于小齿股蝇种团Ｈｙｄｒｏｔａｅａｐａｒｖａ－ｇｒｏｐ,分别描述并绘图。新种模式标本保存于沈阳师范学院昆虫研究所。     

齿股蝇属一新种和一新纪录：（双翅目：蝇科）

本文记述产自甘肃省舟曲县齿股蝇属的一新种和采自新疆玛纳斯县齿股蝇属的一新纪录种。新种订名为多刺齿股蝇Hydrotaea spinosus,sp.nov.与毛足齿股蝇 H.Pilipes Stein,1903和拟毛足齿股蝇(H.mimopilipes Ma et Zhao)近缘。正模和副模2分别保存在军事医学科学院微生物流行病研究所和辽宁省卫生防疫站。     

Failure of Hydrotaea aenescens, a larval predator of the housefly, Musca domestica, to establish in wet poultry manure on a commercial farm in Florida, USA

Hydrotaea aenescens (Weidemann) (Diptera: Muscidae) larvae and pupae were released in high-rise pullet houses in Pascoe County, Florida, U.S.A., for biological control of houseflies, Musca domestica L. (Diptera: Muscidae), in three separate tests during a 14-month period (April 1994-May 1995) and did not become established. However, H. aenescens believed to be from our releases did become established at a caged-layer farm 0.3 km from the release farm. Moisture in pullet house manure generally exceeded 80%, which is above the level at which H. aenescens is reared in colony. Caged-layer manure was also very wet, but crusted areas provided sites for H. aenescens larval development. Results demonstrate that H. aenescens adults will disperse from release sites and populate preferred sites without becoming a nuisance.     

实验感染卵圆鲳鲹的刺激隐核虫GD1虫株皮层的超微结构

自网箱养殖的卵圆鲳鲹（Trachinotus blochii）分离了一株刺激隐核虫（Cryptocaryon irritans）,再经人工感染的方法收集各期虫体,制成电镜样品,对虫体进行超微结构研究。研究表明：刺激隐核虫的毛基体具有典型的9套三联微管系统。幼虫体部单毛基单元有如下特征：单毛基单元结构,具有稍分支的纤毛后微管束（Postciliary microtubular ribbon）,由3根微管组成,起源于第3三联微管,向后延伸至细胞表面。滋养体体部单毛基单元特征是具有分支的纤毛后微管束,由3-6根微管组成,起源于第9三联微管。毛基体的第4-7组三联微管处发出一条长而无分支重叠的动纤丝（KD）,KD向右前方伸延到质膜脊的顶端。在横微管（T）左侧的第3三联微管处有一个横行支持物即横带,由3根微管组成,与来源于第3-4三联微管的横纤维（Tf）相连。刺激隐核虫的体部毛基单元具有一个独特特征：即具有体部线带（N）,是一束平行排列的微管,它们起源于邻接横微管和横纤维的致密板,滋养体的体部线带相互重叠交错排列,以此支撑细胞的横轴。滋养体期还有厚的表质层（Epiplasmic layer）。体部双毛基单元即为邻近口区的双毛基单元,每一排动基列的前几个毛基单元都是双毛基单元,极似口部毛基单元,口部双毛基单元的后面有3-4个体部双毛基单元。幼虫和滋养体的体部双毛基单元均具有2个毛基体,其结构模式相似。体部毛基单元的2个毛基体各长出1根纤毛,毛基体与一个旁体囊（PS）相连,其前面有动纤丝。文中分析了刺激隐核虫在形态上与淡水小瓜虫以及相关种类的毛基单元和皮层结构差异,认为刺激隐核虫的分类更适合归于前口类（Prostomatea）,而不是膜口类（Hymenostomatida）。     

Studies on the possible role of cattle nuisance flies, especially Hydrotaea irritans, in the transmission of summer mastitis in Denmark

The summer mastitis pathogens Actinomyces pyogenes, Peptococcus indolicus, Bacteroides melaninogenicus ss. levii, Fusobacterium necrophorum and Streptococcus dysgalactiae were isolated from the polyphagous symbovine dipterans Hydrotaea irritans (Fallén) and Morellia sp. caught around dairy heifers on pasture, but not from the haematophagous species Haematobia irritans (L.), Haematobosca stimulans (Meigen), Culicoides sp. and Simulium sp. Secretions from clinical cases of summer mastitis proved to be sources of summer mastitis bacteria for more than 3 weeks despite antibiotic treatment and teat amputation. Taking into account the seasonal activity pattern of Hydrotaea irritans and its topographical distribution on grazing cattle, it appears evident that this fly may play a central role in the establishment and maintenance of the bacterial contamination with summer mastitis pathogens on the teats of healthy cattle. In the present study the survival of A.pyogenes and P.indolicus for 7 days in experimentally infected Hydrotaea irritans, as demonstrated by the recovery of these microorganisms from agar plates exposed to live infected flies, is described. However, experimental transmission of summer mastitis from sick to healthy heifers by Hydrotaea irritans proved unsuccessful.