Gadfly invasion of the reindeers in the Murmansk region

Abstract

Studying the peculiarities of the biology of the hypodermic and epipharyngeal gadfly in the Murmansk region, it should be noted that the duration of the gadfly’s fly is very long and depends on the weather conditions, the most important of which are air temperature and wind speed, and as a consequence the climatic zone in which animals are grazing. Estimating the dynamics of summer and activity of hypodermic gadfly in reindeer-breeding brigades in the tundra and forest-tundra zones, it should be noted that the first occurrence of flies in the forest-tundra was recorded 13-20 days earlier than the tundra, and the end of summer, respectively, 5-10 days later. It should be emphasized that the number of days of mass fly of insects in the forest-tundra is 11-12 days longer than in the tundra zone, all this determines the higher affect incidence by hypodermic gadfly larvae of reindeers grazing in the forest-tundra zone. With a comparative assessment of infection by hypodermic gadfly larvae depending on the grazing zone, it should be noted that reindeer grazing in the tundra zone is less affected by hypodermic gadfly larvae than in the forest-tundra zone (54.9-86.0% in the tundra zone and 94.1-96 , 0% in the forest-tundra climatic zone). The greatest invasion was noted in the groups of transport deer and calves of the current year of birth (83.3% - 96.6%, respectively). This is due to the regular use of transport bulls in cargo transportation and weak immunogenic protection of calves. Sires and she-reindeers (females) are affected by gadfly invasion larvae with lesser extent - (54.5% -81.1% and 48.6-82.1%, respectively).