Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-g7gxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-09T13:26:51.013Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

A study of the breeding distribution of Glossina morsitans Westw. in northern Botswana

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

P. R. Atkinson
Affiliation:
Tsetse Fly Control Department, Maun, Botswana

Extract

A year-long survey of the breeding of Glossina morsitans Westw. in the Moremi Game Reserve, northern Botswana, was based on transect counts of pupae and empty puparial cases under logs. Levels of breeding were lowest during the hot dry months, and were similar in riverine woodland and mopane even when the latter was leafless: mopane contributed most pupae (65.7%) to the total population because of its greater area. Pupae to cases ratios decreased between February and November due to accumulation of cases, which apparently were largely destroyed in the rains. Comparison of holes, scattered sites and logs in a second survey showed that holes were important breeding sites during the hot dry season, possibly due to their higher humidity, but that at other times most breeding occurred in scattered sites. During the rains scattered sites contained the fewest dead pupae, and holes the most. There was a preference by G. morsitans for shaded sites. Breeding appeared to be depressed during the rains, possibly due to reduced availability of food hosts, particularly warthog.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1971

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bursell, E. (1958). The water balance of tsetse pupae.—Phil. Trans. R. Soc. (B) 241, 179210.Google Scholar
Burtt, E. (1952). The occurrence in nature of tsetse pupae (Glossina swynnertoni Austen).—Ada trop. 9, 304344.Google ScholarPubMed
Buxton, P. A. (1955). The natural history of tsetse flies.—Mem. Lond. Sch. Hyg. trop. Med. 10, 816 pp. (pp. 393394).Google Scholar
Glasgow, J. P. (1961 a). The variability of fly-round catches in field studies of Glossina.—Bull. ent. Res. 51, 781788.Google Scholar
Glasgow, J. P. (1961 b). Seasonal changes in the breeding places of Glossina morsitans morsitans Westwood.—Acta trop. 18, 252254.Google ScholarPubMed
Harley, J. M. B. (1954). The breeding sites of the tsetse fly Glossina morsitans.—Acta trop. 11, 379402.Google Scholar
Jack, R. W. & Williams, W. L. (1937). The effect of temperature on the reaction of Glossina morsitans Westw. to light A preliminary note.—Bull. ent. Res. 28, 499503.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jackson, C. H. N. (1937). Some new methods in the study of Glossina morsitans.—Proc. zool. Soc. Lond. 1936, 811896.Google Scholar
Jackson, P. J. & Phelps, R. J. (1967). Temperature regimes in pupation sites of Glossina morsitans orientalis Vanderplank (Diptera).—Rhod. Zamb. Mal. J. agric. Res. 5, 249260.Google Scholar
Phelps, R. J. & Burrows, P. M. (1969). Lethal temperatures for puparia of Glossina morsitans orientalis.—Entomologia exp. appl. 12, 2332.Google Scholar
Pilson, R. D. & Pilson, B. M. (1967). Behaviour studies of Glossina morsitans Westw. in the field.—Bull. ent. Res. 57, 227257.Google Scholar
Weitz, B. (1963). The feeding habits of tsetse (Glossina) species.—Bull. Wld Hlth Org. 28, 711729.Google Scholar
Wilson, F. (1965). Rep. agric. Res. Coun. Cent. Africa 1965, 6568.Google Scholar