PHENOLOGY OF STOMOXYINAE IN A KENYAN FOREST

The biology of nineteen taxa of African Stomoxyinae was studied during experiments with odour-baited Vavoua traps in Nairobi National Park, Kenya. Both male and female Stomoxys were captured in similar numbers with CO2 released at 2 l/min or octenol released at 2 mg/h. Some speci es of Haematobosca reacted synergistically to a combination of these t wo attractants, producing large increases in catch. Stygeromyia and Rh inomusca responded only to CO2, and Prostomoxys did not respond to eit her bait. Many different activity patterns were documented in these ge nera, but most activity was concentrated just prior to sunset. For exa mple, at peak densities nearly 1500 Stomoxyinae representing fourteen taxa were caught in a single trap between 18.00 and 19.00 hours. The S tomoxyinae community was exceptionally diverse when compared with othe r biting fly communities. Using data from traps set with different odo ur baits in the park forest, Shannon-Wiener diversity indices (H') var ied from 2.5 to 2.8, and evenness (J') varied between 0.61 and 0.68. T he Stomoxys population was extremely female-biased at the start of the rainy season, with species such as S.inornatus and S.boueti consistin g of nearly 100% females. Sex ratios equalized when the first rainy-se ason generation emerged. Population doubling times estimated from trap indices were approximately 12-16 days in two habitats (forest and riv erine woodland).