Field observations on the environmental effect of large-scale aerial applications of endosulfan in the eradication of Glossina morsitans centralis Westw. in the Western Province of Zambia in 1968

A field survey was conducted to investigate the environmental impact of the large-scale aerial application of endosulfan at 2.8 kg/km2 to eradicate Glossina morsitans centralis Machado from an area of 1632 km2 in the Sinjambela District of the Western Province of Zambia. Collections of arthropods from sprayed areas, ground observations during spraying sorties, estimates of predacious insects (especially Odonata), the application of double doses of the insecticide, and other general observations revealed no deleterious effects on non-target animal species. However, unsprayed woodland had 3 non-target Diptera (Tabanus taeniola P. de B., T. fraternus Macq. and T. biguttatus Wied.) that were not recorded in the sprayed area. Other haematophagous muscids that were present during the spraying operations, including Stomoxys calcitrans (L.) and 4 species of Haematopota, were found in both sprayed and unsprayed areas. The G. m. centralis was completely eliminated, and the area has been free of it for years; the success of the method is attributed to the high susceptibility to endosulfan of tsetse in comparison to other animals.