Attempt at the quantitative characterization of the dispersion in flight of sandflies from the burrows of the great gerbil
Kulik, I.L.; Dubrovskiĭ, I.A.; Komarova, L.V.; Teslenko, E.B.
Meditsinskaia Parazitologiia i Parazitarnye Bolezni 42(3): 285-293
1973
ISSN/ISBN: 0025-8326 PMID: 4272324 Document Number: 59583
The movements of Phlebotomids between burrows of the great gerbil [Rhombomys opimus] were studied in August 1970 in an area in southern Turkmenia (Soviet Union) where gerbil burrows were numerous and about half were occupied. Flies were caught, marked with eosin powder or similar stains and released into a burrow, and during the next 6 days catches were made in the original burrow and in neighbouring ones within 250 m. Altogether, about 10 000 flies were marked and released and about 500 were recaptured. Sergentomyia arpaklensis (Perfil'ev) accounted for 72% of those marked, and Phlebotomus papatasi (Scop.), together with a few examples of P. caucasicus Marts., accounted for the remainder. About 5% of marked examples of each genus were recaptured. Details are given of the numbers released in each of 7 burrows and of the daily numbers recaptured in the same and different burrows. About 15% of the marked flies were recaptured within 1 day in the burrow in which they were released, and it is estimated that within 2 days at least half of them had moved to a different burrow. S. arpaklensis was more mobile than the Phlebotomus spp. The flies moved along the burrows during daytime; they rapidly left burrows deserted by gerbils and were capable of following the migrating hosts.