Seasonal prevalence of flies feeding on buffalo

A survey was carried out at a farm in Nagpur, India, in 1973-74 on the species of flies feeding on buffaloes. Collections were made for 2 h in the morning and 2 h in the afternoon on 3 days in each month using the bottle-funnel method. The flies collected included non-biting and biting muscids, tabanids and hippoboscids. The commonest species was Musca domestica domestica L. (domestica vicina Macq.), which was relatively abundant throughout the year. Of the biting muscids, Haematobia irritans exigua de Meij. (Lyperosia exigua), Stomoxys calcitrans (L.) and Musca crassirostris Stein were predominant. Although these 4 species were commoner in the rainy season than in the rest of the year, Tabanus, Haematopota, Chrysops and Hippobosca, which were found only in small numbers, were absent in the rainy season.