Horn Fly Stable Fly

Jimenez, Lady Ann G.

Horn Fly

Scientific classification• Kingdom: Animalia• Phylum: Arthropoda• Class: Insecta• Order: Diptera• Family: Muscidae• Genus: Haematobia• Species: H. irritans• Binomial name Haematobia irritan

Backgrounds

• Haematobia, European genus of bloodsucking flies

• is a native of Europe but has been introduced to North America and is considered a potentially dangerous livestock pest.

There are 3 main species;• H. Irritans• H. Stimulans • H. Exigua

Distributions

Haematobia, Irritans ☺ referred as

Lyperosia Irritans• ☺ found in Europe,

USA and Australia

Morphology• H. irritans is the smallest of the biting muscids

.• approximately 3⁄16 in (4.0 mm) in length. • Both the male and female have slender, black,

piercing mouthparts which project forward from the bottom of the head.

• Horn flies typically have eyes that are dark reddish-brown

• gray color.• Several dark stripes are present on thorax.• Abdomen is dark green in color and shorter

than musca.

Dorsal view of an adult

Lateral view of an adult

Description

• The horn fly undergoes complete metamorphosis, and has four major stages of development:

H. Stimulans

Distributions

☺ referred as Haemotobosca stimulans

☺ found only in Europe

Morphology

• Slightly smaller• The palps are yellowish in colour

Distributions

H. Exigua

☺ referred as subspecies Haematobia, Irritans exigua

☺ found throughout Asia and Australia

Life Cycle

Adult

• The adult horn flies have brownish-gray or black bodies and are shiny

• The head has small, brownish-red antennae that point downward.

Larvae

• The newly hatched maggots are white and about 1.5 mm long with a slender pointed head.• The spiracles, or openings for breathing, appear as

black indentations at the end of the abdomen.

The spiracular plates of a third instar larva (left) and a pupa(right) of the horn fly

Eggs

• Horn fl y eggs are tan, yellow or white when first laid.

• and then darken to a reddish-brown color prior to hatching

Egg (bottom) and third instar larva (top - head at left) of a horn fl y

Pupae

• The pupae are 3 to 4 mm long and white at first, the

• The outer pupal covering sclerotizes, or hardens

Life Cycle

Summary• Stage 1

the parasite feeds off the body of the host...

• stage 2the eggs hatch into larvae in the manure.

• stage 3the larva goes through a metamorphosis

and...

• stage 4the cycle begins again

Hosts

Cattle

Horse

Dog

Sheep

Goat

Pathogenic Effects:

H. Irritans and H. Stimulans

• cause great irritation and restlessness for animal.

• This also leads to secondary bacterial Infections.

• These flies create Great economic losses. It is responsible for transmission of filarial worms.

H. Irritans Exigua

• Lower weight gain and lower milk production have been measured in heavily infested cattle.

• Many infested cattle develop sores in the inner corners of their eyes.

• Some cattle are ‘allergic’ to buffalo flies and are intensely irritated by as few as 4 or 5 flies.

Buffalo

Management• Chemical control

Forced-use dust bags. Insecticide-charged back rubbers.

Insecticidal ear tags

Insecticides Spraying

Battery-powered automatic sprayer.

Solar-powered automatics prayer

Pour-on insecticide application.

High-volume, high-pressure insecticide spray application.

Mechanical control Biological control

Cow using walkthrough fl y trap to remove horn flies

Dung BeetlesOnthophagous gazella Fabricius, a common scarab beetle in Florida, on a cattle dung pat.

Spalangia sp. wasp parasite probing a fly puparia.

Stable Fly

False Stable Fly Muscina stabulans

• False stable flies do not bite, but have sponging mouthparts.

• They are similar to house flies, but are about 3/8-inch long

• have a dull reddish mark on the back.

• Females lay eggs in tainted foods, excrement, the dead bodies of insects, snails and vertebrates, and are sometimes parasitic on nestling birds.

• The life cycle may take five to six weeks.

Backgrounds

• The stable fly (Stomoxys calcitrans), is also sometimes called the “biting fly” or “dog fly.

• These annoying "biting house flies" feed on animals as well as humans, and are a nuisance to farms and along coastal areas.

Morphology

• Much like the house fly.• However, the bite is what

distinguishes it quickly, with its slender beak protruding from the head.

• The upper part of the abdomen has a number of nearly round dark spots.

• When at rest, the wings are held at an angle to the body instead of straight back like the house fly

Life Cycle

Description• Adults Adults are 1/4 to 1/3

inch long and resemble house flies

Description

• Eggs Stable fly eggs are about 0.04 inch long and are

an off-white color.

Description

● Larvae The last stage larva is

about 2/5 inch long and is a cream white color.

Description

• Pupae• The chestnut brown

pupa is 1/4 inch long.

Hosts

Cattle

Horse

Dog

Cat

Human

Pathogenic Effects

• It is very painful bite for animal.• Habronema (nematodal infection)

and Trypnosomiasis (protozoan infection) are transmitted by these flies.

• Creates restlessness for the animal and human beings• It causes production losses of 20-25 %.• Prefer strong sunlight to live and present • Diseases can the stable fly carry

– Bovine anaplasmosis( infectious dz, anemia)– Equine infectious anemia(severe viral brain dz)

Management• Three general approaches to reduce problems include:1) Prevent breeding by making manure unavailable or to dry or

wet for the larvae to survive or kill the larvae before they become adults

2) Kill adults before they cause harm or start to produce eggs3) Exclude adults entrance by using screens or other barriers• Chemical control• Sanitation around stable or corral• Mechanical control• Biological Control

Summary

Horn Fly

• smaller 5 mm in length• have no major patterns on

the dorsal (back) side of their abdomen

• Must lay eggs in undisturbed, fresh manure.

• Complete metamorphosis

Stable Fly

• 7 to 8 mm long• have a “checkerboard”

appearance of the top of the abdomen.

• seldom lay eggs in fresh manure.

• Complete metamorphosis

The End!