Response of Tabanidae (Diptera) to natural and synthetic olfactory attractants.

This research article explores the attraction of female tabanids (a type of fly) to different olfactory attractants, such as aged horse urine and 1-octen-3-ol, in a nature park in Eastern Croatia. It further compares the efficacy of two types of traps— Malaise and canopy— for capturing these tabanids.

Types of Traps

• The researchers used two different types of traps in their study — Malaise and canopy traps. These traps were baited with different attractants to measure their efficacy in capturing female tabanids.
• Overall, canopy traps performed significantly better than Malaise traps in this experiment, capturing more female tabanids.

Role of Attractants

• The researchers tested the effectiveness of different attractants, including aged horse urine, 1-octen-3-ol, and a combination of aged horse urine and acetone.
• The results showed a varied response from different species of tabanids to these attractants. For example, significantly more females of Tabanus tergestinus and Haematopotapluvialis were attracted to traps baited with 1-octen-3-ol compared to those baited with aged horse urine.
• However, the number of females of Tabanus bromius, Atylotus loewianus, and Tabanus maculicornis captured from the canopy traps did not differ significantly, regardless of whether they were baited with 1-octen-3-ol or with aged horse urine.
• One interesting result was that the canopy traps baited with aged horse urine collected significantly more Tabanus sudeticus than traps baited with 1-octen-3-ol.

Comparison with Unbaited Traps

• As part of the study, the researchers also made a comparison of the quantity of tabanids attracted to baited versus unbaited traps.
• Canopy traps baited with 1-octen-3-ol collected eight times more tabanids than the unbaited traps. Those baited with a combination of aged horse urine and acetone collected seven times as many tabanids, while those with just aged horse urine caught four times as many tabanids.

Effectiveness of Attractants in Europe

• The study concluded that 1-octen-3-ol and aged horse urine are highly effective attractants for tabanids in Eastern Europe.
• Among the species sampled, Tabanus bromius was the most abundant, making up more than half (53.14%) of the tabanids collected by the canopy traps.

This research provides valuable insights into tabanid behavior and the effectiveness of different trapping techniques and olfactory attractants, aiding pest control efforts in Eastern Europe.