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

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.