Development of Novel Management Tools for Phortica variegata , in Europe

Lachryphagous males of Phortica variegata (Fallen, 1823) are gaining increasing attention in Europe, as they act as vectors of the nematode Thelazia callipaeda Railliet & Henry, 1910, causal agent of thelaziosis, an emergent zoonotic disease. Currently, there are no effective control strategies...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of medical entomology 2022-01, Vol.59 (1), p.328
Main Authors: Gonzalez, M.A, Bravo-Barriga, D, Alarcon-Elbal, P.M, Alvarez-Calero, J.M, Quero, C, Ferraguti, M, Lopez, S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Population biology
Strategic planning (Business)
Wine
Zoonoses
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Lachryphagous males of Phortica variegata (Fallen, 1823) are gaining increasing attention in Europe, as they act as vectors of the nematode Thelazia callipaeda Railliet & Henry, 1910, causal agent of thelaziosis, an emergent zoonotic disease. Currently, there are no effective control strategies against the vector, and surveillance and monitoring rely on time-consuming and nonselective sampling methods. Our aim was to improve the knowledge about the population dynamics and the chemical ecology of the species. A total of 5,726 P. variegata flies (96.4% males and 3.6% females, mostly gravid) were collected in field experiments during June-September of 2020 in an oak forest in northern Spain. Our results indicate that 1) by means of sweep netting a significantly higher number of captures were found both around the collectors body and in the air than at ground level; 2) a positive relationship was detected between the abundance of Phortica flies and temperature, with two significant peaks of abundance at 24 and 33[degrees]C; 3) the blend of red wine and cider vinegar was the most attractive bait; 4) yellow traps captured fewer flies compared to black and transparent traps; and 5) a significant reduction toward vinegar and wine was detected in presence of the phenolic monoterpenoid carvacrol. In addition, all the males (n = 690) analyzed by both molecular detection and dissection resulted negative for the presence of T. callipaeda larvae. Overall, these findings provide a better understanding of the vector in terms of monitoring and management strategies. Key words: zoophilic fruit fly, field test, color, netting, bait
ISSN:0022-2585
DOI:10.1093/jme/tjab171