Comparative Efficacy of Unbaited Modified Vavoua and Nzi Traps in the Capture of S. niger niger M. 1851 and S. calcitrans L. 1758 in Ngaoundere-Cameroon

Abstract

There is need for a simple, cheap and efficient collection and control tool for the different stable fly-species in hyper-infested foci. The efficacy of a modified unbaited Vavoua trap (MVT) was compared with an unbaited Nzi as a standard. Each trap model was pitched either inside or outside the cattle overnight pen with rotation taking place after four days for eight days in September 2018 in Ngaoundere. Fly collection was made every 24 hours and sorted using standard identification keys. In total, 2105 hematophagous flies were caught and constituted of 1417 S. niger (89 S.n/t/d), 124 S. calcitrans (8 S.c/t/d), 562 Musca spp. (25m/t/d) and 2 Chrysops distinctipennis (0.1 Cd/t/d). The overall mean catches with the MVT (50.96±57.16) was higher than with the Nzi (27.43±27.73), with no statistically significant difference (t=0.9, df=46.0, P=0.37). Higher mean catches were recorded outside the overnight cattle pen (47.79±55.27) than inside (39.83±55.40) with no statistically significant difference (t=0.5, df=46.0, P=0.62). Stable flies and tabanids were mostly caught outside the overnight stable, while Musca spp. were highly caught inside. Humidity and wind speed were the main drivers of the abundance of the flies caught and from the Pearson’s correlation test, there was a negative and significant correlation between the two meteorological parameters (r=-0.29, P=0.04). The MVT can serve as a simple and efficient tool for the survey and control of stable flies in the Adamawa plateau and elsewhere.