Efficacy of Modified Vavoua and Nzi Traps in the Capture of Stable Flies: A Preliminary Field Trial in Cameroon

There is need for a simple, cheap and efficient collection and control tool for the different stable fly-species in hyperinfested foci. The efficacy of a modified unbaited Vavoua trap (MVT) was compared with an unbaited Nzi as a standard. Each trap type was set either inside or outside the cattle overnight pen with rotation taking place after four days for eight days in September 2018 in Ngaoundere. Fly collection was made every 24 hours and sorted using standard identification keys. In total, 2105 hematophagous flies were caught and constituted of 1417 S. niger niger (89 S.n/t/d), 124 S. calcitrans (8 S.c/t/d), 562 Musca spp. (25 m/t/d) and 2 Chrysops distinctipennis (0.1 Cd/t/d). The overall mean catches with the MVT (50.96 ± 57.16) was higher than with the Nzi (27.43 ± 27.73), with no statistically significant difference (t=0.9, df=46. 0, P=0.37). Higher mean catches were recorded outside the overnight cattle pen (47.79 ± 55.27) than inside (39.83 ± 55.40) with no statistically significant difference (t=0.5, df=46.0, P=0.62). Stable flies and tabanids were highly caught outside the overnight stable, while Musca spp. were highly caught inside. In conclusion, the MVT had similar efficacy and specificity as Nzi and can serve as a simple and efficient tool for the survey and control of stable flies in the Adamawa plateau and elsewhere.