Horse flies (Tabanidae) negatively affect livestock by reducing productivity, compromising animal welfare, and serving as mechanical vectors of pathogens. However, the spatial processes shaping their community organization in southern Brazil’s Coastal Plain of Rio Grande do Sul (CPRS) remain poorly understood. To address this, we conducted standardized Malaise-trap surveys and combined them with historical–contemporary comparisons to examine distance–decay patterns in community composition. We evaluated both abundance-based (Bray–Curtis) and presence–absence (Jaccard) dissimilarities using candidate models. Across sites, Tabanus triangulum emerged as the dominant species. Dissimilarity in community structure increased monotonically with geographic distance, with no evidence of abrupt thresholds. The square-root model provided the best fit for abundance-based data, whereas a linear model best described presence–absence patterns, reflecting dispersal limitation and environmental filtering across a heterogeneous coastal landscape. Sites within riparian forests and conservation units displayed higher diversity, emphasizing the ecological role of protected habitats and the importance of maintaining connected corridors. Collectively, these findings establish a process-based framework for surveillance and landscape management strategies to mitigate vector, host contact. Future directions include integrating remote sensing and host distribution, applying predictive validation across temporal scales.
During the opening of diplomatic relations in the 1990s, South Africa gifted 20 southern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum) to Kenya. The species is not indigenous to Kenya, and management of the introduction was not clearly addressed in the legislation. Responsibility was left to the private sector and local authorities. Ten of the animals were introduced to land contiguous with the Maasai Mara National Reserve, an area with tsetse-trypanosomiasis challenges, and with rare cases of human sleeping sickness. Mortalities had been previously documented when indigenous naïve black rhinoceros were introduced to areas with tsetse; hence there was no consensus on the management of this introduction. Feasibility was only explored once before with the introduction of two animals in a monitored and managed translocation from Lewa Downs, Laikipia in 1992-1994. Ultimately, Kenyan experts were co-opted to address risk after trypanosomiasis occurred in many animals. Unfortunately, this finding was followed by gradual mortalities of most rhinoceros with only a few being saved by removal to highland private sanctuaries. This event was complicated by many factors. Samples were only sporadically collected, and mainly from sick animals. With no clear responsibility by government agencies, a collaboration between veterinarians and researchers resulted in characterization of the disease challenge, and when invited, assessment of health status. Laboratory diagnostics revealed common and sometimes severe infections with Trypanosoma brucei, a normally infrequent trypanosome. Infection was associated with disturbances in erythropoiesis, especially anemia. Symptoms varied from sudden death associated with intestinal atony, to a semiparalyzed animal that was partially responsive to treatment for trypanosomes. This event should be used as a caution to future movements of this species that are planned or ongoing in Africa, for conservation or other purposes.
A modified Nzi trap was tested at a residence and at a farm in eastern Ontario, Canada to better capture high-flying tabanids (Diptera) such as Chrysops Meigen. A new upper trap entrance was created to provide a higher and larger opening by reducing the front blue top shelf to half its height. To minimise escape of low-flying tabanids, a vertical inner baffle was added to direct low-flying tabanids up into the cone. Half of the tests of 18 new designs caught 1.5-2.7 times more deer flies than the Nzi trap did, with the other trap designs being as effective as the Nzi trap. The optimal design that maintained equal catches of other biting flies relative to the Nzi trap was one with a phthalogen inner horizontal shelf and a netting inner vertical baffle. This design is defined in the present as the "bi-level Nzi trap." Chrysops entered the trap mostly through the top (88%; 17 spp.), along with Hybomitra Enderlein (94%; 12 spp.). Tabanus Linnaeus (9 spp.) entered through both entrances. The most abundant Tabanus, T. quinquevittatus Wiedemann, entered mostly through the bottom (70%), whereas Stomoxys calcitrans Linnaeus entered mostly through the top (92%). Un piege Nzi modifie a ete mis a l'essai dans une residence et dans une ferme de l'est de l'Ontario, Canada pour mieux attraper les tabanides (Diptera) volant a haute altitude comme les Chrysops Meigen. Une nouvelle entree superieure au piege a ete creee pour fournir une ouverture plus haute et plus grande en reduisant simplement l'etagere superieure bleue avant a la moitie de sa hauteur. Pour minimiser la fuite des tabanides volant a basse altitude, un deflecteur interieur vertical a ete ajoute pour diriger les tabanides volant a basse altitude dans le cone. La moitie des tests de 18 nouveaux modeles ont capture 1,5 a 2,7 fois plus de mouches a chevreuil que le piege Nzi; les autres modeles de piege etaient aussi efficaces que le piege Nzi. Le modele optimal qui maintenait des captures egales d'autres mouches piqueuses par rapport au piege Nzi etait celui avec une etagere horizontale interieure en phtalogene et une chicane verticale interieure en filet. Ce modele est defini comme << le piege Nzi a deux niveaux >>. Chrysops sont entrees principalement par le haut (88 %, 17 spp.), ainsi que Hybomitra Enderlein (94 %, 12 spp.). Tabanus Linnaeus (9 spp.) est entre par les deux entrees. La Tabanus la plus abondante, T. quinquevittatus Wiedemann, est entree principalement par le fond (70 %), tandis que Stomoxys calcitrans Linnaeus est entre principalement par le haut (92 %).
Abstract Durable materials for Nzi traps were tested in three applied settings based on promising formats that were tested first in Canada. Experiments were conducted at Cape Cod, Massachusetts, United States of America at the site of a major tabanid control programme and at two challenging tropical locations (Sudan and Philippines) where mechanical transmission of trypanosomiasis occurs. At Cape Cod, royal blue–painted plywood Nzi traps caught up to 19 times as many tabanids as greenhead box traps used locally did. Fabric Nzi traps caught up to six times more horseflies, Tabanus spp. (Diptera: Tabanidae), than a box trap did and twice as many horseflies than a popular commercial trap, the Horse Pal® did. A home-dyed phthalogen turquoise cotton trap also performed well. In the Philippines, it caught 2.5 times as many Tabanus as a standard phthalogen blue cotton trap did. Durable phthalogen blue Sunbrella acrylic and Top Notch polyester traps with various types of netting performed well at all locations.
This paper discusses the use of biomarkers within the environmental protection framework that has evolved since the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) was given a broad mandate for the protection of the environment under the Nuclear Safety and Control Act ( NSCA ) in 2000. Unique insights have been obtained through environmental assessments for major nuclear projects conducted under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act , and through the Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM) requirements at uranium mines and mills ( Metal Mining Effluent Regulations under the Fisheries Act ( FA )). Altogether, the Canadian nuclear sector now has 17 years of experience in applying biological evidence in decision-making. Key examples are discussed where improved effluent controls were implemented at uranium mines for three substances (U, Mo, Se) based on risk assessments and supporting biological evidence. In the case of U, potential for localized harm from the chemical toxicity rather than radiological toxicity of U was identified at three older mines through environmental risk assessment. Evidence of potential harm in the field was also obtained from a community ecology bioindicator (benthic invertebrate biodiversity). This led to the improvement of effluent controls for U that were straightforward to implement under the NSCA . In the case of Mo, the weight of evidence for potential health effects on moose and other riparian wildlife from ecological risk assessments (supported by field evidence from Sweden) prompted improved controls based on precaution and pollution prevention. A technological solution was readily available for reducing Mo in effluent and was therefore implemented. In the case of Se, population level effects in fish and individual level effects in waterfowl in the USA led to selenium risks being evaluated downstream of uranium mines. Biomarkers (larval teratogenic deformities) played a pivotal role in attributing observed effects (harm) to the probable cause (selenium accumulation in the environment). However, as technological solutions were not straightforward, effort was required to build a consensus on achievable effluent control targets in a multi-stakeholder and multi-jurisdictional context. Through site-specific research and the latest scientific literature, criteria for selenium risk evaluation and water treatment system improvements were agreed upon and implemented. Within the EEM program, similar issues have arisen in managing a robust and defensible regulatory framework for controls on multiple hazardous substances across many mining sectors. However, an initial review of biomarkers resulted in the selection of only ecologically-relevant parameters (fish health and population indicators, benthic invertebrate biodiversity) as triggers for regulatory action. Altogether, these and other parallel experiences are discussed in terms of the desirable attributes of biological effects monitoring in a Canadian regulatory context.
New materials in 85 configurations were tested relative to standard fabric Nzi traps to improve catches of tabanids based on artificial visual cues that mimic those used in nature for locating hosts or water. Colour-fast synthetic fabrics and photo-selective horticultural mesh were tested to facilitate insecticide impregnation and for improved durability. Many plastics were explored to document how flies react to polarized and visible vs. ultraviolet light. Lastly, sticky horizontal, linearly polarizing ground-level shiny plastic targets were tested for capturing water-seeking tabanids relative to traps and vertical fabric targets. Based on the capture of 281 786 female Tabanidae (Tabanus Linnaeus, Hybomitra Enderlein, Chrysops Meigen), four alternative formats provided higher catches and/or durability. They were substituting: (1) phthalogen turquoise for phthalogen blue, (2) solution-dyed fabrics for blue and black cotton, (3) clear/white horticultural mesh for mosquito netting, and (4) clear, reflective plastic for some or all netting. A Sunbrella/BioNet fabric trap (portable) and a blue-black Plexiglas (R)/netting trap (fixed applications) consistently performed best (1.5-3 x higher catches). Ground-level targets captured many male and gravid female Hybomitra but were ineffective for Tabanus. Traps and vertical fabric or transparent sticky targets captured mainly unfed females.
Deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) are a widely distributed forest species of small mammal found throughout most of North America. P. maniculatus is primarily nocturnal and can usually be captured more easily during the warmer months due to short-term torpor in extremely low temperatures and reduced home range size in winter. 1 P. maniculatus generally exhibits only annual fluctuations as a result of seasonal breeding. 2
In the Fall of 2016 a workshop was held which brought together over 50 scientists from the ecological and radiological fields to discuss feasibility and challenges of reintegrating ecosystem science into radioecology. There is a growing desire to incorporate attributes of ecosystem science into radiological risk assessment and radioecological research more generally, fueled by recent advances in quantification of emergent ecosystem attributes and the desire to accurately reflect impacts of radiological stressors upon ecosystem function. This paper is a synthesis of the discussions and consensus of the workshop participant's responses to three primary questions, which were: 1) How can ecosystem science support radiological risk assessment? 2) What ecosystem level endpoints potentially could be used for radiological risk assessment? and 3) What inference strategies and associated methods would be most appropriate to assess the effects of radionuclides on ecosystem structure and function? The consensus of the participants was that ecosystem science can and should support radiological risk assessment through the incorporation of quantitative metrics that reflect ecosystem functions which are sensitive to radiological contaminants. The participants also agreed that many such endpoints exit or are thought to exit and while many are used in ecological risk assessment currently, additional data need to be collected that link the causal mechanisms of radiological exposure to these endpoints. Finally, the participants agreed that radiological risk assessments must be designed and informed by rigorous statistical frameworks capable of revealing the causal inference tying radiological exposure to the endpoints selected for measurement.
Aquatic environments downstream of uranium operations (mining/milling) in Northern Saskatchewan are exposed to a variety of chemical and physical disturbances. There is extensive regulatory documentation of monitoring and effects assessments for modern uranium operations, though little is available in the scientific literature. The reference condition approach was used to predict expected benthic invertebrate community metrics for unexposed and exposed lakes. This approach was used to identify impacted communities that differed significantly from expected natural regional compositions. The number of taxa at the lowest practical level (taxon richness) downstream of approximately half of the uranium operations’ effluent release points was lower compared to the number of taxa observed in reference conditions. The taxon richness residuals were strongly correlated with about half of the measured concentrations of sediment contaminants and always negatively, such that richness was lower in lakes with higher concentrations of metals or radionuclide activities in the sediments. This was consistent for both reference and exposure lakes, implying a natural background influence of some metals and radionuclides on taxon richness. This exercise produced models that can be used by practitioners in the north of Saskatchewan in the design and delivery of monitoring programs not only for uranium mines, but for regional cumulative effects studies in support of sustainable resource planning and management.
Background This study focused on the savannah tsetse species Glossina swynnertoni and G. morsitans centralis, both efficient vectors of human and animal trypanosomiasis in, respectively, East and Central Africa. The aim was to develop long-lasting, practical and cost-effective visually attractive devices that induce the strongest landing responses in these two species for use as insecticide-impregnated tools in population suppression. Methods and findings Trials were conducted in different seasons and years in Tanzania (G. swynnertoni) and in Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC, G. m. centralis) to measure the performance of traps (pyramidal and epsilon) and targets of different sizes, shapes and colours, with and without chemical baits, at different population densities and under different environmental conditions. Adhesive film was used to catch flies landing on devices at the remote locations to compare tsetse-landing efficiencies. Landing rates by G. m. centralis in both Angola and the DRC were highest on blue-black 1 m2 oblong and 0.5 m2 square and oblong targets but were not significantly different from landings on the pyramidal trap. Landings by G. swynnertoni on 0.5 m2 blue-black oblong targets were likewise not significantly lower than on equivalent 1 m2 square targets. The length of target horizontal edge was closely correlated with landing rate. Blue-black 0.5 m2 targets performed better than equivalents in all-blue for both G. swynnertoni and G. m. centralis, although not consistently. Baiting with chemicals increased the proportion of G. m. centralis entering pyramidal traps. Conclusions This study confirms earlier findings on G. swynnertoni that smaller visual targets, down to 0.5 m2, would be as efficient as using 1 m2 targets for population management of this species. This is also the case for G. m. centralis. An insecticide-impregnated pyramidal trap would also constitute an effective control device for G. m. centralis.
Adult Brachycera can affect dairy cattle through their feeding behaviour. The main families of veterinary importance are Tabanidae, Athericidae, Rhagionidae, Muscidae, Glossinidae and Hippoboscidae. Non-biting flies such as house flies and face flies ingest liquids from animal tissues using sponging mouthparts, whereas biting flies such as tabanids, stable flies and tsetse flies take blood from hosts using piercing-sucking mouthparts. Thus, Brachycera flies may impact livestock through both direct effects (nuisance, skin injuries, blood losses) and indirect effects (pathogen transport or transmission), contributing to economic losses for dairy production. Nonbiting flies are mainly mechanical carriers of pathogens, especially bacteria (e.g. Escherichia coli, Moraxella bovis, Staphylococcus aureus). Tabanids and biting muscid flies are mainly mechanical vectors of pathogens including bacteria (e.g. Bacillus anthracis, Anaplasma marginale), protozoa (e.g. Besnoitia besnoiti, Trypanosoma spp.) and viruses (e.g. lumpy skin disease virus), whereas tsetse flies are biological vectors of trypanosomes causing African Animal Trypanosomosis. Brachycera flies are also developmental vectors of several nematodes (Thelazia spp., Parafilaria bovicola, Stephanofilaria stilesi). Today, several control methods are available for the integrated management of flies inside livestock facilities and in pastures, including environmental methods (sanitation), biological methods (parasitoids, entomopathogenic fungi), chemical methods (insect growth regulators, insecticides) and mechanical methods (traps, targets). Facing the growing concern of increasing fly populations related to changing climate and land use, there is a crucial need to better assess their direct impact and their role in the epidemiology of (re) emerging fly-borne pathogens and to improve the effectiveness and sustainability of control methods.
Environmental transfer models assume that organically-bound tritium (OBT) is formed directly from tissue-free water tritium (TFWT) in environmental compartments. Nevertheless, studies in the literature have shown that measured OBT/HTO ratios in environmental samples are variable and generally higher than expected. The importance of soil-to-leaf HTO transfer pathway in controlling the leaf tritium dynamics is not well understood. A model inter-comparison of two tritium transfer models (CTEM-CLASS-TT and SOLVEG-II) was carried out with measured environmental samples from an experimental garden plot set up next to a tritium-processing facility. The garden plot received one of three different irrigation treatments – no external irrigation, irrigation with low tritium water and irrigation with high tritium water. The contrast between the results obtained with the different irrigation treatments provided insights into the impact of soil-to-leaf HTO transfer on the leaf tritium dynamics. Concentrations of TFWT and OBT in the garden plots that were not irrigated or irrigated with low tritium water were variable, responding to the arrival of the HTO-plume from the tritium-processing facility. In contrast, for the plants irrigated with high tritium water, the TFWT concentration remained elevated during the entire experimental period due to a continuous source of high HTO in the soil. Calculated concentrations of OBT in the leaves showed an initial increase followed by quasi-equilibration with the TFWT concentration. In this quasi-equilibrium state, concentrations of OBT remained elevated and unchanged despite the arrivals of the plume. These results from the model inter-comparison demonstrate that soil-to-leaf HTO transfer significantly affects tritium dynamics in leaves and thereby OBT/HTO ratio in the leaf regardless of the atmospheric HTO concentration, only if there is elevated HTO concentrations in the soil. The results of this work indicate that assessment models should be refined to consider the importance of soil-to-leaf HTO transfer to ensure that dose estimates are accurate and conservative.
The Gidran is a native Hungarian horse breed that has approached extinction several times.Phylogenetic analysis of two mitochondrial markers (D-loop and cytochrome-b) was performed to determine the genetic characterization of the Gidran for the first time as well as to detect errors in the management of the Gidran stud book.Sequencing of 686 bp of CYTB and 202 bp of the D-loop in 260 mares revealed 24 and 32 haplotypes, respectively, among 31 mare families.BLAST analysis revealed six novel CYTB and four D-loop haplotypes that have not been previously reported.The Gidran mares showed high haplotype (CYTB: 0.8735 ± 0.011; D-loop: 0.9136 ± 0.008) and moderate nucleotide (CYTB: 0.00472 ± 0.00017; D-loop: 0.02091 ± 0.00068) diversity.Of the 31 Gidran mare families, only 15 CYTB (48.4%) and 17 D-loop (54.8%) distinct haplotypes were formed using the two markers separately.Merged markers created 24 (77.4%)mare families, which were in agreement with the mare families in the stud book.Our key finding was that the Gidran breed still possesses high genetic diversity despite its history.The obtained haplotypes are mostly consistent with known mare families, particularly when the two mtDNA markers were merged.Our results could facilitate conservation efforts for preserving the genetic diversity of the Gidran.
This paper reports the output of a consensus symposium organized by the International Union of Radioecology in November 2015. The symposium gathered an academically diverse group of 30 scientists to consider the still debated ecological impact of radiation on populations and ecosystems. Stimulated by the Chernobyl and Fukushima disasters' accidental contamination of the environment, there is increasing interest in developing environmental radiation protection frameworks. Scientific research conducted in a variety of laboratory and field settings has improved our knowledge of the effects of ionizing radiation on the environment. However, the results from such studies sometimes appear contradictory and there is disagreement about the implications for risk assessment. The Symposium discussions therefore focused on issues that might lead to different interpretations of the results, such as laboratory versus field approaches, organism versus population and ecosystemic inference strategies, dose estimation approaches and their significance under chronic exposure conditions. The participating scientists, from across the spectrum of disciplines and research areas, extending also beyond the traditional radioecology community, successfully developed a constructive spirit directed at understanding discrepancies. From the discussions, the group has derived seven consensus statements related to environmental protection against radiation, which are supplemented with some recommendations. Each of these statements is contextualized and discussed in view of contributing to the orientation and integration of future research, the results of which should yield better consensus on the ecological impact of radiation and consolidate suitable approaches for efficient radiological protection of the environment.
The dynamics of tritium released from nuclear facilities as tritiated water (HTO) have been studied extensively with results incorporated into regulatory assessment models. These models typically estimate organically bound tritium (OBT) for calculating public dose as OBT itself is rarely measured. Higher than expected OBT/HTO ratios in plants and soils are an emerging issue that is not well understood. To support the improvement of models, an experimental garden was set up in 2012 at a tritium processing facility in Pembroke, Ontario to characterize the circumstances under which high OBT/HTO ratios may arise. Soils and plants were sampled weekly to coincide with detailed air and stack monitoring. The design included a plot of native grass/soil, contrasted with sod and vegetables grown in barrels with commercial topsoil under natural rain and either low or high tritium irrigation water. Air monitoring indicated that the plume was present infrequently at concentrations of up to about 100 Bq/m(3) (the garden was not in a major wind sector). Mean air concentrations during the day on workdays (HTO 103 Bq/m(3), HT 5.8 Bq/m(3)) were higher than at other times (0.7-2.6 Bq/m(3)). Mean Tissue Free Water Tritium (TFWT) in plants and soils and OBT/HTO ratios were only very weakly or not at all correlated with releases on a weekly basis. TFWT was equal in soils and plants and in above and below ground parts of vegetables. OBT/HTO ratios in above ground parts of vegetables were above one when the main source of tritium was from high tritium irrigation water (1.5-1.8). Ratios were below one in below ground parts of vegetables when irrigated with high tritium water (0.4-0.6) and above one in vegetables rain-fed or irrigated with low tritium water (1.3-2.8). In contrast, OBT/HTO ratios were very high (9.0-13.5) when the source of tritium was mainly from the atmosphere. TFWT varied considerably through time as a result of SRBT's operations; OBT/HTO ratios showed no clear temporal pattern in above or below ground plant parts. Native soil after 20 years of operations at SRBT had high initial OBT that persisted through the growing season; little OBT formed in garden plot soil during experiments. High OBT in native soil appeared to be a signature of higher past releases at SRBT. This phenomenon was confirmed in soils obtained at another processing facility in Canada with a similar history. The insights into variation in OBT/HTO ratios found here are of regulatory interest and should be incorporated in assessment models to aid in the design of relevant environmental monitoring programs for OBT. Crown Copyright (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Tabanids are nuisance pests for humans and livestock because of their painful bite and persistent biting behavior. About 4,400 tabanid species have been described; they are seasonally present in all kinds of landscapes, latitudes, and altitudes. Thus, high populations of tabanids can have serious economic impact on outdoor activities, tourism and agriculture. Tabanids have so far received little attention and can then be considered as neglected subject of research. This poster tends to show that they are important vectors of disease agents and provide a brief summary of tabanid morphology, biology, and life cycle. Tabanids are also vectors of animal disease agents, including viruses, bacteria and parasites such as equine infectious anemia virus, Bacillus anthracis or Trypanosoma evansi responsible of surra. Direct annoyance and stress generated by tabanids are also responsible of immunosuppressive effects which increase the effect of inter-current diseases in their hosts.
Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA) methodology for radioactive substances is an important regulatory tool for assessing the safety of licensed nuclear facilities for wildlife, and the environment as a whole. ERAs are therefore expected to be both fit for purpose and conservative. When uranium isotopes are assessed, there are many radioactive decay products which could be considered. However, risk assessors usually assume 235U and its daughters contribute negligibly to radiological dose. The validity of this assumption has not been tested: what might the 235U family contribution be and how does the estimate depend on the assumptions applied? In this paper we address this question by considering aquatic wildlife in Canadian lakes exposed to historic uranium mining practices. A full theoretical approach was used, in parallel to a more realistic assessment based on measurements of several elements of the U decay chains. The 235U family contribution varied between about 4% and 75% of the total dose rate depending on the assumptions of the equilibrium state of the decay chains. Hence, ignoring the 235U series will not result in conservative dose assessments for wildlife. These arguments provide a strong case for more in situ measurements of the important members of the 235U chain and for its consideration in dose assessments.
BackgroundRiverine species of tsetse are responsible for most human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) transmission and are also important vectors of animal trypanosomiasis. This study concerns the development of visual control devices for two such species, Glossina fuscipes fuscipes and Glossina tachinoides, at the eastern limits of their continental range. The goal was to determine the most long-lasting, practical and cost-effective visually attractive device that induces the strongest landing responses in these species for use as insecticide-impregnated tools in vector population suppression.Methods and findingsField trials were conducted in different seasons on G. f. fuscipes in Kenya, Ethiopia and the Sudan and on G. tachinoides in Ethiopia to measure the performance of traps and 2D targets of different sizes and colours, with and without chemical baits, at different population densities and under different environmental conditions. Adhesive film was used to enumerate flies at these remote locations to compare trapping efficiencies. The findings show that targets made from black and blue fabrics (either phthalogen or turquoise) covered with adhesive film render them equal to or more efficient than traps at capturing G. f. fuscipes and G. tachinoides. Biconical trap efficiency varied between 25% and 33% for the two species. Smaller 0.25 m×0.25 m phthalogen blue-black targets proved more efficient than the regular 1 m2 target for both species, by over six times for Glossina f. fuscipes and two times for G. tachinoides based on catches per m2. Overall, targets with a higher edge/surface area ratio were more efficient at capturing flies.Conclusions/significanceTaking into account practical considerations and fly preferences for edges and colours, we propose a 0.5×0.75 m blue-black target as a simple cost-effective device for management of G. f. fuscipes and G. tachinoides, impregnated with insecticide for control and covered with adhesive film for population sampling.