Drivers of Spring Emergence and Abundance of the Australia Sheep Blowfly Lucilia cuprina (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) on Kangaroo Island
Date
2025
Authors
Gove, Casey Rose
Editors
Advisors
van Heiden, Maarten
Cassey, Phil
Prowse, Thomas
Cassey, Phil
Prowse, Thomas
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Abstract
Lucilia cuprina (Wiedemann) is an invasive species of blowfly and the primary instigator of sheep flystrike, the dermal infestation of a live animal with Dipteran larvae. As a significant pest to the Australian wool industry, the South Australian government and industry partners are developing an eradication program for L. cuprina on Kangaroo Island (KI), South Australia, using the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT). SIT suppresses reproduction by mass-rearing and releasing sterilised insects into a wild population. To enhance eradication efforts, two areas of the blowfly’s ecology were studied on KI. The first study investigated the drivers of spring emergence, a period when population numbers are low and fewer sterile insects are needed for outnumbering. Adult fly emergence from post-feeding larvae released in autumn and winter on KI was compared to soil temperature and soil moisture content. Analysis of emergence timing showed temperatures below 15.8C suppressed emergence. Rate of emergence and survival were positively associated with mean soil temperature 31-60 days post-release, and larvae that spent less time in the soil overwintering had a higher chance of survival. The second study investigated the distribution and relative abundance of L. cuprina on KI through a 9-week relative abundance survey. Four main habitat types are present on KI: Broadacre Agriculture (BA), Conservation and Plantation Forestry (CPF), Sheep Grazing (SG), and Urban (U). We installed a network of 81 novel semiochemical-baited traps across 27 sites within these habitat categories, identifying L. cuprina and eight sympatric blowfly species from the trap catch. We detected L. cuprina in all four habitats at varying abundance, with a clear association with SG sites. The presence of L. cuprina in the centre of isolated CPF areas where sheep are absent suggests the species can compete with some success with other necrophagous insects on carrion, and/or utilise other live animals as hosts. Their detection in these sites may also be indicative of sex-biased migratory behaviour.
School/Discipline
School of Biological Sciences : Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Dissertation Note
Thesis (MPhil) -- University of Adelaide, School of Biological Sciences : Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 2025
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