New Zealand Journal of Zoology abstracts
Relative abundance and seasonality of Calliphoridae and Sarcophagidae
(Diptera), potential vectors of rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) in the
South Island of New Zealand
B. I. P. BARRATT1
C. M. FERGUSON1
A. C. G. HEATH2
R. A. S. LOGAN1
1AgResearch Ltd.,
Invermay Agricultural Centre
Private Bag 50 034
Mosgiel, New Zealand
2Present address: Wallaceville Animal Research Centre P. O. Box
40 063, Wallaceville, Upper Hutt, Wellington, New Zealand.
Abstract In rabbit-prone areas of the South Island of New
Zealand, a field survey was undertaken of the incidence, relative abundance and
seasonality of possible rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) vectors,
blowflies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) and fleshflies (Diptera: Sarcophagidae).
Flies were trapped over a 4-day period each month for a year except during the
winter months. Liver-baited Western Australian fly traps were set in
Marlborough (three sites), the Mackenzie Basin (three sites) and Central Otago
(six sites). Eight species of calliphorids (blowflies) and the sarcophagid
(fleshfly),
Hybopygia varia (Walker) were trapped. Numbers were
generally higher at shrubby or grassy sites compared with bare open sites with
little vegetation. More
H. varia were trapped at sites grazed by cattle
than at other sites. In March and November 1999, and January 2000, sticky traps
attached to cages containing either a dead, live, or no rabbit were set up at
two of the Central Otago sites where rabbit control had been poor (Sugar Loaf),
and good (Locharburn), respectively. Blowflies were more abundant on sticky
traps at the Locharburn site than at Sugar Loaf. Both groups of flies were
attracted in significantly greater numbers to dead rabbits compared with live
rabbits and empty cages. No evidence of RHDV was found on flies from either
site, on any of the three dates. The implications of these results are
discussed in the context of rabbit biological control.
Keywords rabbit haemorrhagic disease; virus; vectors;
Calliphoridae; Sarcophagidae, seasonality; New Zealand
Z01011
Received 23 March 2001; accepted 10 August 2001
New Zealand Journal of Zoology, 2001, Vol. 28: 417-428
0301-4223/01/2804-0417 $7.00/0 (c) The Royal Society of New
Zealand 2001
PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (1001K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)
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