The responses of stomoxys spp. (Diptera: Muscidae) to traps and artificial host odours in the field

In Zimbabwe, cotton cloth dyed phthalogen blue attracted three times more Stomoxys spp. than Alsynite fibreglass panels. A single F3 trap caught nearly six times as many Stomoxys spp. as four Williams traps. The host odour component l-octen-3-ol (released at 0.6 mg/h) increased catches of Stomoxys spp. in an F3 trap (P < 0.05), but 4-methylphenol (0.7 mg/h) and 3-n-propylphenol (0.15 mg/h) did not (P > 0.05). Insecticide-impregnated targets did not appear to control a population of Stomoxys spp. attacking cattle. However, it is concluded that there is scope for the improvement of trapping and control systems for use against Stomoxys spp.