Explore the vast range of titles available.

House flies (Musca domestica L.) are common synanthropic pests associated with confined animal operations, including dairy farms. House flies can cause substantial nuisance and may transmit human and animal pathogens. Surprisingly little is known about the daily flight activity of house flies. This study examined diurnal house fly flight activity on two southern California dairies using clear sticky traps to capture flies over hourly intervals. Flight activity for both males and females combined started near dawn and generally increased to a single broad activity peak during mid to late morning. Male flight activity peaked earlier than female flight activity and this separation in peak activity widened as mean daytime temperature increased. Flight activity for both sexes increased rapidly during early morning in response to the combined effects of increasing light intensity and temperature, with decreasing flight activity late in the day as temperature decreased. During midday, flight activity was slightly negatively associated with light intensity and temperature. Collection period (time of day) was a useful predictor of house fly activity on southern California dairies and the diurnal pattern of flight activity should be considered when developing house fly monitoring and control programs.

The mortality rate of a field population of house fly (Musca domestica L.) was determined for a granular fly bait containing the active ingredient indoxacarb, which was compared to two commercially available granular fly baits containing either dinotefuran or cyantraniliprole. Indoxacarb was applied at three different application rates 0.498, 0.986, and 1.972 g/m2 (low, medium, and high). Time to 50% mortality was fastest for dinotefuran (5.7 h) and slowest for the low application rate of indoxacarb (10.3 h). Time to 90% mortality was fastest for the high application rate of indoxacarb (27.7 h) and slowest for dinotefuran (51.0 h) and cyantraniliprole (45.9 h). Among the three indoxacarb application rates, the high rate reached both 50 and 90% fly mortality significantly faster than the low rate. The medium rate did not significantly differ from either the high or low application rates. Dinotefuran bait produced greater fly mortality than all other treatments at 30-min post-exposure, with mortality for remaining baits exceeding controls by 3- to 6-h post-exposure. All insecticidal baits produced similar fly mortality by 6-h post-exposure and >94% fly mortality by 96-h post-exposure, indicating that each may be effective in a fly management program. Flies consumed a similar amount of the indoxacarb (regardless of application rate) and dinotefuran baits, but consumed less of the cyantraniliprole bait, suggesting a feeding irritancy or toxicity effect manifested during consumption. Nevertheless, flies consumed enough cyantraniliprole bait to cause mortality similar to other baits by 6-h post-exposure.

Background The northern fowl mite (NFM), Ornithonyssus sylviarum , is one of the most important external parasites of commercial poultry in the USA. NFM feeds on blood, causing irritation and stress to infested birds and potentially reducing egg production in flocks with high levels of mite infestation. Fluralaner is a systemically active insecticide and acaricide. We report on two studies that evaluated the efficacy of fluralaner administered to layer chickens in medicated drinking water through two single doses of 0.5 mg fluralaner per kg chicken body weight at 7 days apart for control of NFM. Methods In two separate studies, white Leghorn chickens ( Gallus gallus domesticus ) were exposed to NFM so that they developed mite infestations. The first study was a dose confirmation study ( n  = 64 pullet birds per treatment group). The second study was a field efficacy study ( n  = 400 layer birds per treatment group). Once infested with NFM, birds were assigned to Medicated or Control treatment groups. In the Medicated group, a fluralaner solution was administered through medicated drinking water on study day 0 and again on day 7. The Control group received only unmedicated drinking water. NFM present in the vent region of birds were recorded prior to treatment (day −7 for dose confirmation and day −5 for field efficacy studies) and post-treatment on days 2, 8, 14, 19, and 28. In each study, product efficacy was determined by comparison of mite counts on Medicated and Control birds. Results The number of mites was significantly reduced on Medicated group birds relative to Control group birds by day 2. At day 2 post-treatment, 99% control efficacy (> 99% for geometric mean) was achieved in the dose confirmation study and > 96% (> 99% for geometric mean) control efficacy was achieved in the field efficacy trial. Control efficacy in both studies exceeded 99% from day 8 to day 28. There were no adverse health impacts observed in birds treated with fluralaner. Conclusions This study confirms the effectiveness of fluralaner for control of NFM when administered to chickens through drinking water as two single doses of 0.5 mg/kg chicken body weight at 7 days apart. Graphical Abstract

House flies (Musca domestica L.) are common synanthropic pest associated with confined animal operations and are known carriers of many disease-causing pathogens affecting humans and animals. House fly production remains a significant problem for producers. Reducing the number of house flies dispersing away from a development site may impact both pathogen transmission and nuisance to humans and animals near fly development sites. This dissertation investigates the flight behaviors of the house fly under field conditions in southern California which may be used in future fly management programs. In chapter 1, a study was conducted to investigate the diel flight activity of house flies on two different active dairies in southern California. Collection period (time of day) was a useful predictor of house fly activity, as time is essentially a proxy for diel changes in temperature, humidity, light intensity, and even wind speed in southern California. Male flight activity peaked before females. Temperature, light intensity, and wind speed had a significant effect on activity throughout the day. In chapter 2, the flying height of house flies was examined using vertical 2.13m-tall sticky traps. House flies were evenly distributed over this trap height, except for flies captured on traps positioned in or near the edge of an alfalfa field. Temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed were linearly associated with changes in flying height. The even distribution of house flies over the traps indicate house flies are almost certainly flying above top of the traps. In chapter 3, the relationship of house fly flight direction with environmental variables was investigated, using a release-recapture study. House flies are not dispersing randomly, and the short-range flight of male and female flies was toward the southeast. Flight direction was significantly correlated with time of release, solar position, wind speed, and temperature. Dispersing flies may have been using a nearby tree line as a visual cue thus flying in this direction. Chapter 4 investigated the impact a visual target would have on the direction of flight for house flies. The mean direction of flight was altered by the target but did not result in a significant shift in flight direction towards the target. More house flies captured when the target was raised and the aspect of the target facing the release point was sunward (reflecting sunlight). Overall, house fly flight behaviors are complex, and are likely impacted by all observed environmental variables. Changes in temperature and sunlight (time of day) had a wide-ranging impact on house fly flight behavior, affecting flight activity and directionality. It is anticipated that as sampling techniques become more refined the impact of weather on house fly flight behavior will become better characterized, but continued research is necessary.

Nearly 200 years have passed since the first marine fungus, collected from the shores of North Africa, was described. In that time, marine mycologists have continued to observe, describe, and study fungi in every marine ecosystem examined. Nevertheless, fungi remain functionally \"dark matter\" of the ocean, presenting a grand opportunity to unravel their roles in ecosystem processes. This report outlines the discussion among participants of the second occasional meeting of marine mycologists at Asilomar, California, in March 2024, in which a diverse and interdisciplinary consortium of researchers enumerated the most pressing, and often basic, unanswered questions in marine fungi. We report on the questions facing the field of marine mycology, identify challenges in addressing those questions, and propose concrete and practical solutions for obtaining their answers. A common thread is the need for increasing cross talk and collaboration between mycologists and oceanographers that would present opportunities for readers to participate in a rapidly growing field.