Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.2005, Side 139
THE STABLE FLY (STOMOXYS CALCITRANS) (DIPTERA: MUSCIDAE)
RECORDED FROM THE FAROES
137
Diptera Byres Sum
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Tipulidae KD 1
Sciaridae 2(7) 2
Psychodidae 22(17) 5(3) 3(10) 2(2.2) 32
Anisopodidae 1(0.5) 1(0.5) KD 3
Scatopsidae 15(7) 9(4) 9(10.3) 1(2) 34
Chironomidae 3(2) 148(75) 8(28) 4(1.5) 3(33) 40(46) 8(14) 214
Sepsidae 1(3) 1
Heleomyzidae KD 5(17) 6
Sphaeroceridae 2(2) 1(0.5) 8(28) 2(1) 6(67) 5(6) 3(5) 27
Drosophilidae 2(2) 13(6.5) 2(7) KD 18
Ephydridae 3(2) 3
Anthomyidae 3(2) 3
Muscidae: Stomoxys calcitrans 91(72) 13(6.5) 205(91) 27(31) 46(79) 382
Muscidae: other species 2(1) 4(2) KD 7
Number of specimens. 127 198 29 225 9 87 58 733
Table 1. Number of dipterans (%) recorded from seven byres in Velbastaður, the Faroes, 11-12 May, 2002
Talva 1. Mongd av tvíveingjum (%) skrásett í sjey stallum á Velbastað, Føroyar, 11-12 Maj 2002
and other hosts. When fly populations are
high, the disturbance and the blood loss
caused by the biting activity may result
in considerable reduction of milk produc-
tion and body weight (Bruce and Decker,
1958; Stork, 1979; Wieman et al., 1992;
Cantangui et al., 1997; Wall and Shearer,
1997). Further, it may transmit microbial
diseases among domestic animals, espe-
cially horses (Wall and Shearer, 1997).
Stomoxys calcitrans is a species of world-
wide distribution; probably, the original
home of this species are the tropical parts
of the Old World (Zumpt, 1973). Sec-
ondarily, the stable fly followed man into
the temperate region, where it is widely
distributed, but until recently the fly has
not been recorded from the Faroes (Thom-
sen, 1938; Lyneborg, 1968). This paper
reports on the first record of the species
from the Faroes.
Materials and methods
On 11-12 May 2002 insects were collected
in seven byres in Velbastaður in the vicin-
ity of Tórshavn, the Faroes. The insects
were collected by sweeping around cattle
and along walls and ceilings; sampling pe-
riod per byre was about 20 minutes. Fur-
ther, insects were collected from window
silis. The insects were preserved in 70%
alcohol and identified to species or family
level under a binocular microscope. The
byres differed as regards age, size and