# Stomoxys Species Richness and Apparent Densities at Different Land-Use Setups in North-Eastern KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa

## TL;DR

This study explores the diversity and abundance of Stomoxys flies in different land-use areas in South Africa, highlighting their role as disease vectors.

## Contribution

The study provides new data on Stomoxys species richness and apparent densities in north-eastern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

## Key findings

- Six Stomoxys species were identified, with S. n. niger being the most abundant.
- Stomoxys species co-exist with tsetse flies, indicating shared disease transmission risks.
- Vector control efforts should include Stomoxys species alongside other known vectors.

## Abstract

The genus Stomoxys contains about 18 species recognized worldwide, and they are parasitic blood-feeding flies of medical and veterinary importance. There is a scarcity of well-documented information regarding the abundance and diversity of these flies in the north-eastern KwaZulu-Natal province (KZN) of South Africa. A total of 10 localities divided into three land-use setups, namely communal farming areas, commercial farms, and private game farms, were sampled using odor-baited H-traps. This study identified six collected Stomoxys species, namely Stomoxys calcitrans (Linnaeus, 1758), S niger niger (Macquart, 1851), S. sitiens (Rondani, 1873), S. taeniatus (Bigot, 1888), S. n. bilineatus (Grunberg, 1906), and S. boueti (Roubaud, 1911), which co-exist with tsetse flies, the biological vectors of Trypanosoma parasites in the sampled area. Among the six species, S. n. niger was the most abundant species captured from all the sampled sites. The presence of these species constitutes a significant animal health risk due to their vectorial role in the transmission of various disease-causing pathogens of medical and veterinary significance. Future vector control campaigns in KZN should not be limited to ticks, mosquitoes, and tsetse flies, but should be extended to other biting and blood-feeding insects in the area, including Stomoxys species.

Stomoxys is a genus of blood-sucking dipteran flies from the family Muscidae with approximately 18 species reported globally. This study sought to identify and determine the apparent densities (ADs) and species richness of Stomoxys species occurring in three land-use setups, namely communal farming areas, commercial farms, and private game farms in the north-eastern part of KwaZulu-Natal Province (KZN), South Africa. Thirty-four H-traps were set up across 10 different localities over 30 days of sampling. A total of 1306 Stomoxys flies with an average of 1.28 flies/trap/day were captured, and six Stomoxys species were identified. S. n. niger was the most abundant species (82.3%), followed by S. calcitrans (13.1%), S. taeniatus (1.9%), S. n. bilineatus (0.84%), S. sitiens (1.1%), and S. boueti (0.7%) was the least collected. This study highlights the need to explore this genus further as it demonstrates that more than one species exists in north-eastern KZN. Furthermore, these flies co-exist with tsetse flies (Glossina spp.), meaning that vector control measures should incorporate all potential vectors of animal trypanosomosis and other vector-borne diseases that occur in the area.