fly
not annotated - annotated - LINNAEUS only
20923688
Universal primers for rapid detection of hytrosaviruses.
Hytrosaviridae is a proposed virus family encompassing viruses that cause salivary gland hypertrophy (SGH) syndrome in infected insects and reduce the fertility in their dipteran insect hosts. They contain a large, double stranded DNA genome of 120-190 kbp. To date, these viruses have been detected only in adult Diptera. These include hytrosaviruses detected in various tsetse fly species (Glossina spp.), the narcissus bulb fly Merodon equestris and the house fly Musca domestica. The limited number of hytrosaviruses reported to date may be a reflection of the frequent absence of external symptoms in infected adult flies and the fact that the virus does not cause rapid mortality. Based on the complete genome sequence of Glossinia pallidipes (GpSGHV) and Musca domestica (MdSGHV) salivary gland hypertrophy viruses, a PCR based methodology was developed to detect the viruses in these species. To be able to detect hytrosaviruses in other Diptera, five degenerate primer pairs were designed and tested on GpSGHV and MdSGHV DNA using gradient PCR with annealing temperatures from 37 to 61^0C. Two pairs of primers were selected from p74, two pairs from PIF-1 and one pair from ODV-e66 homologous proteins. Four primer pairs generated a virus specific PCR product on both MdSGHV and GpSGHV at all tested annealing temperatures, while the ODV-e66 based primers did not generate a virus specific product with annealing temperatures higher that 47^0C. No non-specific PCR product was found when using genomic DNA of infected flies as template DNA. These results offer new sets of primers that could be used to detect hytrosaviruses in other insects.
21526930
Fire ant decapitating fly cooperative release programs (1994-2008): two Pseudacteon species, P. tricuspis and P. curvatus, rapidly expand across imported fire ant populations in the southeastern United States.
Natural enemies of the imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta Buren S. richteri Forel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), and their hybrid, include a suite of more than 20 fire ant decapitating phorid flies from South America in the genus Pseudacteon. Over the past 12 years, many researchers and associates have cooperated in introducing several species as classical or self-sustaining biological control agents in the United States. As a result, two species of flies, Pseudacteon tricuspis Borgmeier and P. curvatus Borgmeier (Diptera: Phoridae), are well established across large areas of the southeastern United States. Whereas many researchers have published local and state information about the establishment and spread of these flies, here distribution data from both published and unpublished sources has been compiled for the entire United States with the goal of presenting confirmed and probable distributions as of the fall of 2008. Documented rates of expansion were also used to predict the distribution of these flies three years later in the fall of 2011. In the fall of 2008, eleven years after the first successful release, we estimate that P. tricuspis covered about 50% of the fire ant quarantined area and that it will occur in almost 65% of the quarantine area by 2011. Complete coverage of the fire ant quarantined area will be delayed or limited by this species' slow rate of spread and frequent failure to establish in more northerly portions of the fire ant range and also, perhaps, by its preference for red imported fire ants (S. invicta). Eight years after the first successful release of P. curvatus, two biotypes of this species (one biotype occurring predominantly in the black and hybrid imported fire ants and the other occurring in red imported fire ants) covered almost 60% of the fire ant quarantined area. We estimate these two biotypes will cover almost 90% of the quarantine area by 2011 and 100% by 2012 or 2013. Strategic selection of several distributional gaps for future releases will accelerate complete coverage of quarantine areas. However, some gaps may be best used for the release of additional species of decapitating flies because establishment rates may be higher in areas without competing species.
22182616
The ability of selected pupal parasitoids (hymenoptera: pteromalidae) to locate stable fly hosts in a soiled equine bedding substrate.
The ability of Spalangia cameroni Perkins, Spalangia endius Walker, and Muscidifurax raptorellus Kogan and Legner to locate and attack stable fly hosts was evaluated under laboratory conditions. Postfeeding third-instar stable fly larvae were released and allowed to pupate in two arena types: large 4.8 liter chambers containing a field-collected, soiled equine bedding substrate; or 120-ml plastic cups containing wood chips. At the time of fly pupariation, parasitoids were released and permitted 72 h to locate and attack hosts. On average, parasitism rates of freely accessible stable fly pupae in cups were not significantly different between parasitoid species. However, parasitism rates in chambers containing either Spalangia spp. were =50-fold more than M. raptorellus. Additional intraspecies analysis revealed that parasitism rates both by S. cameroni and S. endius were not significantly different when pupae were freely accessible or within bedding, whereas M. raptorellus attacked significantly more pupae in cups than in the larger chambers where hosts were distributed within bedding. These results suggest that Spalangia spp. are more suited to successfully locate and attack hosts in habitats created by equine husbandry in Florida. Therefore, commercially available parasitoid mixtures containing Muscidifurax spp. may be ineffective if used as a control measure at Florida equine facilities.