Observations on flies found on livestock farms in Malta II : fly population studies

Abstract

Relative fly populations in the Maltese Islands were assessed during a three and a half year study using sticky fly-paper traps exposed in animal farm units for 24 h at weekly intervals between 1971 and 1974. The main species recorded were Musca domestica and Fannia canicularis, common to both islands, and Stomoxys calcitrans, common to Gozo but less so in Malta. Several other species occurred in small numbers. The active season for Musca was between May and November, with two main seasonal peaks early and late in the season; that for Stomoxys was slightly shorter (June to October) with a peak in July or August. The peak for Fannia was generally early within a March to August season. Variations were found to occur between Malta and Gozo. The greatest population increase for Musca coincided with a mean temperature of 20-25° C.