ABSTRACT
Black flies (also called buffalo gnats, turkey gnats, and Kolumbtz flies) are small, humpbacked flies that are severe nuisance pests and occasionally vectors of disease. In temperate regions, black flies are notorious pests often occurring in tremendous swarms and biting humans and animals viciously. There are reports in the medical literature of human deaths from black fly biting, and one report of 400 mules dying within a few days after exposure to black fly swarms. As opposed to mosquitoes (which breed in stagnant water), black flies breed in fast-flowing streams and rivers. Black flies are smaller than mosquitoes, ranging in size from about 2-5 mm, with broad wings, stout bodies, and large compound eyes. Chemical control of black flies involves application of insecticides for both adults and larvae. Larviciding with the “biological” control agent, Bacillus thuringiensis israeliensis, or BTI, (a spore-forming bacteria that kills the feeding larvae) has shown success in parts of the United States and many African countries participating in the Onchocerciasis Control Program (OCP).
