Successful mating, oviposition, and complete generation rearing of the multivoltine black fly Simulium decorum (Diptera: Simuliidae) in the laboratory

1978 ◽  
Vol 56 (6) ◽  
pp. 1223-1225 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. R. Simmons ◽  
J. D. Edman
Keyword(s):  
Black Fly ◽  
Successful Mating ◽  
Simulium Decorum

Adults of the autogenous, multivoltine black fly Simulium decorum Walker were reared from field larvae and induced to mate and oviposit approximately 100 fertile eggs in the laboratory. Two of seven F1 females reared from these eggs mated but neither oviposited. Vision, age, and olfaction appear important for mating in both sexes. Preliminary experience suggests that colonization of this species is feasible.

ECOLOGY OF BLACK FLIES (DIPTERA: SIMULIIDAE) OF THE SOURIS RIVER, MANITOBA AS A BASIS FOR CONTROL STRATEGY

1981 ◽  
Vol 113 (3) ◽  
pp. 223-234 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. R. Westwood ◽  
R. A. Brust
Keyword(s):  
Control Program ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Pest Species ◽  
Black Flies ◽  
Black Fly ◽  
Simulium Vittatum ◽  
Late Instar ◽  
Simulium Decorum ◽  
Fly Control ◽  
Wire Cage

AbstractTen species of black flies were collected from the Souris River, Manitoba between April 1977 and October 1978. Adults of Simulium luggeri Nicholson and Mickel, Simulium meridionale Riley, Simulium venustum Say, Simulium verecundum Stone and Jamnback, and Simulium johannseni johannseni (Hart) were collected feeding on livestock and humans, and are well known pest species. Simulium vittatum Zetterstedt was the most abundant species, but was not a pest on man or domestic animals. Simulium tuberosum (Lundström) and Simulium johannseni duplex Shewell and Fredeen were the least abundant species. Simulium j. johannseni, S. j. duplex, S. venustum, S. verecundum, S. tuberosum, and Cnephia dacotensis (Dyar and Shannon) appeared to be univoltine species while S. luggeri, S. meridionale, Simulium decorum Walker, and S. vittatum were multivoltine in the Souris River.An evaluation of cone, plate, rope, and wire cage sampling devices for black fly larvae and pupae indicated that cone samplers provided a more representative sample for population assessment.In a black fly control program, of the Souris River, Manitoba two separate larvicide treatments in spring may be necessary. In the case of two treatments, the first should be aimed at late instar larvae of S. j. johannseni, S. venustum, and S. verecundum. Since the majority of S. luggeri and S. meridionale would be in the egg stage at this time, a second treatment, 10–14 days later, would be necessary to control late instar larvae of these species.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Partially Submerged Sticky Traps On Lake Spillways For Adult Black Fly (Diptera: Simuliidae) Surveillance and Arbovirus Detection

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 306-310
Author(s):  
Michael C. Cavallaro ◽  
Eric Risley ◽  
Paige Lockburner
Keyword(s):  
Adult Female ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Black Flies ◽  
Culex Mosquito ◽  
Sticky Traps ◽  
Black Fly ◽  
Equine Encephalitis Virus ◽  
Simulium Decorum ◽  
Average Standard Error

ABSTRACT Sentinel surveillance systems demonstrate an improved ability to supplement monitoring data and anticipate arbovirus outbreaks (i.e., sentinel avian species). Management complications can arise during unpredictable or unseasonal disease detections, especially in rural areas where resident distribution is patchy. Using spillways near residential lake communities as static surveillance locations, we tested a novel partially submerged sticky trapping technique and screened wild populations of adult female black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae) for West Nile virus (WNV) and eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV). Trap site selection criteria considered the density of immature black fly colonization on spillway surfaces and the number of positive detections of arboviral targets in nearby Culex mosquito populations. On average (±standard error), sticky traps captured 134 (±33) adult black flies over a 24-h period, with 1 trap capturing as many as 735 individuals. Although we detected positive cases of WNV from 20 Culex mosquito trapping sites within 16 km (approx. flight radius) of the selected lake spillways, mixed pools of adult female Simulium vittatum complex and Simulium decorum were all negative for both arboviruses. This study yielded an application for partially submerged sticky traps to collect adult female black flies. Its potential uses for monitoring the infection rates of more well-documented Simulium parasites are discussed.

Phenotypic plasticity in the labral fan of simuliid larvae (Diptera): effect of seston load on primary-ray number

1999 ◽  
Vol 77 (12) ◽  
pp. 1843-1849 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Lucas ◽  
Fiona F Hunter
Keyword(s):  
Phenotypic Plasticity ◽  
Species Identification ◽  
Food Supply ◽  
Feedback Mechanism ◽  
Filter Feeding ◽  
Black Fly ◽  
Species Diagnosis ◽  
Feeding Regimes ◽  
Simulium Decorum ◽  
Plastic Trait

The number of primary rays in the labral fan of filter-feeding black fly (Diptera: Simuliidae) larvae has been used by some authors to aid in species identification. We examined the number of primary labral fan rays in field-collected last-instar larvae of Simulium rostratum and Simulium decorum. Significant inter- and intra-specific differences were found both spatially and temporally. Simulium rostratum and S. decorum larvae were also reared to last instar (from eggs or first- or second-instar larvae) under three feeding regimes to test the effect of seston load on the number of primary labral fan rays. In both species the fan-ray number decreased when the food supply was increased. We conclude that the primary fan ray number should be used cautiously in species diagnosis because it is a phenotypically plastic trait that varies with seston load. A potential feedback mechanism to explain the observed differences in fan-ray number is hypothesised.

Absence of population structure in black flies as revealed by enzyme electrophoresis

Genome ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 531-537 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. M. Feraday ◽  
K. G. Leonhardt
Keyword(s):  
Population Structure ◽  
Allozyme Variation ◽  
Structure Evolution ◽  
Population Subdivision ◽  
Enzyme Electrophoresis ◽  
Black Flies ◽  
Chromosome Inversion ◽  
Black Fly ◽  
Shifting Balance ◽  
Simulium Decorum

Analysis of allozyme variation by the FST-statistic in Simulium decorum and several other black fly species reveals very little genetic variation that could be attributed to genetic drift. This is consistent with what is known about the rates of migration of black flies and supports the idea that there is a lack of population subdivision in these insects. This picture of population structure is quite different from that presented by chromosome inversion polymorphisms. Chromosomal variation, however, can reasonably be attributed to selection and suggests that the role of inversions in black fly evolution is similar to population subdivision in the shifting balance process.Key words: black flies, allozymes, population structure, evolution.

Ecological characterization of two sibling species, IIIL-1 and IS-7, in the Simulium vittatum complex (Diptera: Simuliidae)

1984 ◽  
Vol 62 (7) ◽  
pp. 1308-1315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter H. Adler ◽  
Ke Chung Kim
Keyword(s):  
Sibling Species ◽  
Polytene Chromosomes ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Eastern United States ◽  
Black Fly ◽  
Geographic Ranges ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Simulium Vittatum ◽  
Simulium Decorum

Larval polytene chromosomes provided the identification tool that enabled ecological characterization of two black fly sibling species, IIIL-1 and IS-7, in the Simulium vittatum complex. A 4-year study in the eastern United States demonstrated important differences between the two siblings, based primarily on differential occupancy of the stream continuum. Immatures of the IIIL-1 sibling predominated below nonspring-fed reservoirs, downstream of sewage effluent outflows, and in warm downstream areas. Immatures of the IS-7 sibling occurred, with IIIL-1, in cool well-oxygenated flows generally associated with groundwater discharge. These sibling–habitat relations produced sibling gradients along the stream continuum. Over their geographic ranges, the IIIL-1 sibling became increasingly abundant from north to south, relative to IS-7. At mixed-sibling sites, populations were asynchronous; IS-7 generally predominated in early spring and late fall. The major determinants of sibling distributions were those factors affecting respiration: temperature, oxygen, and current. Species such as the black fly Simulium decorum and the midge Chironomus riparius signalled essentially pure populations of IIIL-1. Preimaginal densities of Glossosoma spp. (Trichoptera) also indicated sibling proportions. IIIL-1 and IS-7 shared all pathogens. At mixed-sibling sites, proportionally more larvae of IIIL-1 occurred on rocks than on grasses. Regardless of sibling, larvae on rocks were darker than those on grasses, which suggested differences in the proportion of ingested materials.

Entomopathogenic fungi of the order Entomophthorales (Zygomycotina) in adult black fly populations (Diptera: Simuliidae) in Quebec

1994 ◽  
Vol 40 (8) ◽  
pp. 682-686 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin P. Nadeau ◽  
Gary B. Dunphy ◽  
Jacques L. Boisvert
Keyword(s):  
Host Specificity ◽  
Entomopathogenic Fungi ◽  
Adult Stage ◽  
Pathogenic Fungi ◽  
Black Fly ◽  
Simulium Vittatum ◽  
Insect Pathogenic Fungi ◽  
Simulium Decorum

Infections by insect-pathogenic fungi of the order Entomophthorales in two adult black fly populations were studied in the Réserve Faunique du Saint-Maurice (Quebec). Entomophaga near limoniae infected Simulium verecundum/rostratum in June whereas Erynia curvispora predominantly parasitized Simulium decorum from the 2nd week of July to September and Erynia conica attacked the Simulium venustum complex, Simulium verecundum/rostratum, and the Simulium vittatum complex from May to September. The fungi did not infect the adult stage of Prosimulium species. Possible evidence of host specificity for Erynia conica is discussed.Key words: Entomophthorales, black fly, host specificity, Entomophaga, Erynia, Simulium.

Sustained colonization of the black fly Simulium decorum Walker (Diptera: Simuliidae)

1981 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. R. Simmons ◽  
J. D. Edman
Keyword(s):  
Relative Humidity ◽  
Larval Rearing ◽  
Black Fly ◽  
Mating Trial ◽  
Female Survival ◽  
Simulium Decorum

The black fly Simulium decorum Walker has been colonized for 16 generations (18 months) using an inexpensive larval rearing system. More than 90% of the females are induced with simulated twilight to oviposit on floating cork substrates. Eggs on corks have been successfully stored for up to 2 months at 0.5–1.5 °C. Female survival averages 87% for 4 days at 22 °C and 90–95% relative humidity. Mating in aspirator tubes results in nearly 100% insemination, whereas a cage mating trial resulted in only 26% insemination. Under crowded conditions where larvae are underfed, emerging males are smaller and mature fewer eggs. Though autogenous, nulliparous females readily blood feed on humans but do not mature additional eggs.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document