Life Sciences Commons^™

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.

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 …