Livestock Management Insect Pests Sept. 2003, LM-10.5
Dog Dung Fly
Michael W. DuPonte1 and Linda Burnham Larish2 1CTAHR Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences, 2Hawaii Department of Health
Musca sorbens Wiedman Origin Found in Hawaii in 1949. Currently it is widely dispersed throughout the Pacific. Public health concern Exhibits an aggressive attraction to the human body. May cause infections in open wounds. Implicated in transmitting viruses, bacteria, and para sites to animals and man. Hosts Cattle, swine, dogs, cats. Livestock concern Dog dung flies: female on left, male on right. Can pass diseases in livestock. Description 3 Small fly about ⁄16 inches long, about half the size of the house fly. Has two black stripes down its gray back. Adult Unlike the house fly, it rarely enters homes and is not Eggs attracted to food. Fly life cycle Pupa Life cycle Larva Growth stages: egg, larva, pupa, adult. From egg to adult takes 15 days. Eggs are laid in cracks and crevices of animal dung. Larvae feed on the dung for 4–5 days, and pupae emerge as adults 4–5 days later. References Control Ikeda, J.K., R.L. Mau, W.C. Mitchell, and M. Tamashiro. 1979. Tox Dairies need to clear milking stalls of fresh manure daily. icity of insecticides to Musca sorbens in Hawaii. J. Econ. Entomol. Change to animal rations that contain less corn. 72(1):33–35. Lee, C.N., and G.M. Toyama. 1991. Ovipositional response of Musca In urban areas, the daily collection and disposal of pet sorbens Wiedemann (Diptera L Muscidae) to residues of digested ground feces is recommended. corn in feces of dairy cows. Environ. Entomol. 20(5):1447–1450. Pyrethrins and other chemicals have been successfully Mau, R.L. 1978. Larval development of Musca sorbens in animal used for the quick knock-down of adult flies. dung in Hawaii. Annals Entomol. Soc. America 71(4):635–636. Tenerio, J.M., and G.M. Nishida. 1997. What’s bugging me? Univ. Consult your pesticide supplier for recommended prod Hawaii Press, Honolulu. ucts, and always follow label directions. Photo: R.F.L. Mau, CTAHR, UHM.
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