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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Bush Flies : Where They All Come From, J N. Matthiessen
Bush Flies : Where They All Come From, J N. Matthiessen
Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4
The bush fly is a native Australian insect which breeds in dung and has its reproductive opportunities greatly expanded by the introduction of cattle into the country.
In the agricultural region of south-western Australia bush flies appear in large numbers in spring and early summer. The occurrence of such massive numbers then can be traced back to short periods of very successful breeding that begin in the cool early weeks of spring when flies are hardly noticeable.
The Bush Tick, R B. Besier
The Bush Tick, R B. Besier
Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4
A newly discovered livestock parasite has focused attention on farms in the Walpole district in the south-west of Western Australia. Ticks submitted to the Department of Agriculture in December 983 were identified as the bush tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis. An intensive campaign to locate areas of infestation and to limit spread was started in January 1984.
The bush tick is a pest of livestock in some areas of New South Wales and Queensland. It is important in a narrow coastal strip from Sydney to Brisbane where total summer rainfall can exceed 1000 mm. In this area heavy tick infestation causes …
Selecting New Kinds Of Dung Beetles For Better Bush Fly Control, T J. Ridsdill-Smith
Selecting New Kinds Of Dung Beetles For Better Bush Fly Control, T J. Ridsdill-Smith
Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4
Native dung beetles are found in south-western Australia, but they are largely restricted to areas of natural vegetation where they feed on dung pellets of marsupials.
When European man cleared the land, planted pastures and introduced cattle, he created a new type of environment which did not suit most native beetles. Cattle dung accumulated, and the bush fly Musca vetustissima, found this a very favourable breeding site.
In an attempt to correct this inbalance, other types of dung beetles addapted to living in open pastures are being introduced by CSIRO. These introduced beetles can reduce fly numbers by increasing the …