A newly developed odour-baited "H trap" for the live collection of Glossina brevipalpis and Glossina austeni (Diptera: Glossinidae) in South Africa

Abstract

A new trap, named the 'H trap', was developed at Hellsgate Tsetse Research Station in South Africa for the simultaneous collection of live Glossina brevipalpis Newstead and Glossina austeni Newstead. Its design followed an evaluation of the responses of the two species towards traps that are used elsewhere in Africa for the collection of other tsetse fly species. These traps were found at Hellsgate to be unsuitable for capturing both G. brevipalpis and G. austeni. Some new trap designs and many modifications of these were tested, most of which were unsuccessful. The odour-baited blue and black H trap represents a different approach for trapping tsetse flies as it is fitted with lateral cones of white netting which induce the flies to take a more horizontal flight path once they have entered the trap, instead of the vertical flight paths they assume in existing tsetse fly traps. A number of modifications of the prototype H trap were devised (H1-H5), before the final design was established. Catches of up to 76 G. brevipalpis and 37 G. austeni were obtained per trap on a single day with the H3 modification. Further modifications improved on the trap's efficiency to capture G. brevipalpis and G. austeni. The final modification caught a record number of 180 G. brevipalpis and 57 G. austeni on a single day.