Impact of Landscape and Season on the Ecological Distribution of Tabanidae and Stomoxyinae, Mechanical Vectors of Bovine Trypanosomosis in the Forest of Sanaga Maritime and Savanna of Ngaoundere, Cameroon

Abstract Background: Huge pasture areas in sub-Saharan Africa are heavily infested by tabanids and stomoxyines whose distribution across season and in different landscape differs and is poorly described in Cameroon. Methods: A longitudinal entomological prospection (January 2017 to December 2017) was carried out in the savanna of Ngaoundere and forest of the Sanaga Maritime of Cameroon, using three trap-types (Nzi, Biconical and Vavoua). A total of 18 traps were used in this study with nine in each site.Results: In the forest, 44317 Stomoxys belonging to four species were captured with an apparent density of 136.78 flies per trap and day (f/t/d). Twelve species of tabanids were collected with 3524 individuals with an apparent density of 10.87 f/t/d. Stomoxys niger niger was the most abundant species while for tabanids, Tabanus taeniola (48.63%) was most represented. In the savanna, 4501 (13.89 f/t/d) Stomoxys were collected and regrouped under five species with S. n. niger (70.91%) highly represented and 547 (1.68 f/t/d) tabanids collected and regrouped under 10 species with Tabanus taeniola as the most dominant species. Trap apparent density (ADT) varied with sampled sites, seasons and the prevailing weather conditions in the forest and savanna.Conclusion: From the present finding, it can be deduced that T. taeniola and S. n. niger were the most abundant and indicate the risk of mechanical transmission of dangerous pathogens such as bovine trypanosomosis.