Behavioural and electrophysiological responses of females of two species of tabanid to volatiles in urine of different mammals.
Abstract: Urine volatiles from different ungulates (cows, horses and sheep) were tested as bait for tabanids in southeastern France using Nzi traps during the early summer of 2011. Tabanus bromius Linnaeus, 1758 and Atylotus quadrifarius (Loew, 1874) (both: Diptera: Tabanidae) were the most captured species, respectively representing 57% and 41% of all tabanids collected (all of which were female). Horse urine significantly increased catches of T. bromius (1.6-fold) and A. quadrifarius (3.5-fold), and sheep urine significantly increased catches of A. quadrifarius (2.5-fold). In parallel, an electroantennogram (EAG) study was conducted for the first time on these two species, in which EAGs were recorded using 1-octen-3-ol and extracts of the same urine samples used in the field. For T. bromius, the EAG response to 1-octen-3-ol increased quasi-sigmoidally with dose, with a maximum response at ≥100 µg on filter paper. For both species of tabanid, cow and horse urine elicited larger EAGs than did sheep urine. The behavioural implications in host-seeking and feeding habits are discussed.
© 2012 The Royal Entomological Society.
Publication Date: 2012-06-11 PubMed ID: 22681479DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2915.2012.01022.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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The research explores the behavioral and physiological responses of two species of Tabanid flies to the urine of different ungulates (cows, horses, and sheep), specifically focusing on how this influences their host-seeking and feeding activities.
Research Methodology
- Field tests were carried out in southeastern France during the summer of 2011, and involved using Nzi traps to collect Tabanids attracted to urine samples from different ungulates, including cows, horses, and sheep.
- The two most recorded species were Tabanus bromius and Atylotus quadrifarius, accounting for 57% and 41% of all collected Tabanids, all of which were female.
- An electroantennogram (EAG) study was also conducted on these two species using 1-octen-3-ol and extracts from the same urine samples used in the field tests.
Key Findings
- Horse urine significantly increased the captivation rate of both T.bromius (1.6-fold) and A.quadrifarius (3.5-fold).
- Sheep urine significantly increased the capture of A.quadrifarius, by 2.5-fold.
- In the EAG study, it was found that the EAG response for T.bromius to 1-octen-3-ol, a common compound in vertebrate breath and sweat, followed a quasi-sigmoidal pattern, peaking at or above 100 µg on filter paper.
- For both species, the EAGs to cow and horse urine were larger than the response to sheep urine, suggesting a higher sensitivity or preference to these urines.
Implications of the Study
- The findings of this study could affect how pest control methods are developed, particularly in regions where these Tabanid species are prevalent. Knowing that horse and cow urine solicits a higher response rate than sheep urine, control methods could involve using these substances as bait.
- It also provides a deeper understanding of the host-seeking and feeding habits of T.bromius and A.quadrifarius, which could be a stepping stone towards controlling or predicting their population dynamics.
Cite This Article
APA
Baldacchino F, Cadier J, Porciani A, Buatois B, Dormont L, Jay-Robert P.
(2012).
Behavioural and electrophysiological responses of females of two species of tabanid to volatiles in urine of different mammals.
Med Vet Entomol, 27(1), 77-85.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2915.2012.01022.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Dynamique et Gouvernance des Systèmes Ecologiques, Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE), UMR 5175, Université Paul-Valéry (UM3), Montpellier, France. frederic.baldacchino@cefe.cnrs.fr
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Arthropod Antennae / drug effects
- Arthropod Antennae / physiology
- Cattle
- Diptera / drug effects
- Diptera / physiology
- Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
- Electrophysiological Phenomena / drug effects
- Feeding Behavior / drug effects
- Female
- France
- Horses
- Pheromones / pharmacology
- Sheep
- Species Specificity
- Urine / chemistry
- Volatile Organic Compounds / pharmacology
Citations
This article has been cited 8 times.- Takács P, Száz D, Vincze M, Slíz-Balogh J, Horváth G. Sunlit zebra stripes may confuse the thermal perception of blood vessels causing the visual unattractiveness of zebras to horseflies. Sci Rep 2022 Aug 4;12(1):10871.
- Dawit M, Hill SR, Birgersson G, Tekie H, Ignell R. Malaria mosquitoes acquire and allocate cattle urine to enhance life history traits. Malar J 2022 Jun 11;21(1):180.
- Poldy J. Volatile Cues Influence Host-Choice in Arthropod Pests. Animals (Basel) 2020 Oct 28;10(11).
- Horváth G, Pereszlényi Á, Tóth T, Polgár S, Jánosi IM. Attractiveness of thermally different, uniformly black targets to horseflies: Tabanus tergestinus prefers sunlit warm shiny dark targets. R Soc Open Sci 2019 Oct;6(10):191119.
- Horváth G, Szörényi T, Pereszlényi Á, Gerics B, Hegedüs R, Barta A, Åkesson S. Why do horseflies need polarization vision for host detection? Polarization helps tabanid flies to select sunlit dark host animals from the dark patches of the visual environment. R Soc Open Sci 2017 Nov;4(11):170735.
- Herczeg T, Száz D, Blahó M, Barta A, Gyurkovszky M, Farkas R, Horváth G. The effect of weather variables on the flight activity of horseflies (Diptera: Tabanidae) in the continental climate of Hungary. Parasitol Res 2015 Mar;114(3):1087-97.
- Krčmar S, Radolić V, Lajoš P, Lukačević I. Efficiency of colored modified box traps for sampling of tabanids. Parasite 2014;21:67.
- Herczeg T, Blahó M, Száz D, Kriska G, Gyurkovszky M, Farkas R, Horváth G. Seasonality and daily activity of male and female tabanid flies monitored in a Hungarian hill-country pasture by new polarization traps and traditional canopy traps. Parasitol Res 2014 Nov;113(11):4251-60.
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