38

The tse-tse fly

Biting Diptera

Biting and Noxious Insects other than Mosquitoes

In this connection one discovery has to be chronicled. It was made by Lt.-Colonel Griffith, D.S.O., to whom the laboratories supplied a small entomological outfit prior to his journey up the White Nile. He brought back specimens of various insects, and amongst them Glossina morsitans, a species of tse-tse fly, which he captured on the Pongo River, in the Bahr-El-Ghazal province, when marching from Wau to Dem Zobeir. He reported that the fly occurred in great numbers. This tse-tse is the carrier of the trypanosome of nagana so fatal to horses, donkeys, and certain other domestic animals, and had not previously been reported nearly so far north in these regions, having been encountered near

Runbek by the Pethericks1 in 1869. This has hitherto constituted its most northerly record. I looked for, and made careful enquiries about, the tse-tse flies throughout the Nile journey made on the “ Amka,” but I saw nothing either of Glossina morsitans or G. palpalis. The only information obtained was that a fly belt existed about 10 miles west of Shambe on the White Nile, and that horses and donkeys passing through it suffered from sickness. My authority was the very intelligent Egyptian officer in charge of the post. As it is very essential to define correctly the localities in the Sudan which are infested by the fly, and as Mr. Austen, the Dipterologist of the British Museum was anxious to obtain specimens and information, the laboratories forwarded an entomological outfit to the British Medical Officer in the Bahr-El-Ghazal Province with full instructions, a request for notes and specimens, and asking him to make enquiries amongst officials and natives. It is thus hoped to obtain reliable accounts and plenty of material. A complete collection of all the biting flies of the Sudan is much to be desired. Sand flies and owl midges are common in Khartoum and more annoying than mosquitoes, while specimens have been secured of the seroot flies of the Nile. These include species of the genera Tabanus and Pangonia, which are very numerous, and whose bites are severe. Mr. Theobald identified amongst the Tabanids, Glossina, etc., brought him by Lt.-Col. Griffith, D.S.O., Tabanus dot sovittus (Walker) from Kodok, a Stomoxys sp ? and Glossina morsitans from the

1 ongo which were quite typical. Vide Second Report on Economic Zoology, p. 113 (Biting horse flies in Central Africa), F. V. Theobald.

The Hippoboscidas,2 so annoying to horses and camels, are represented in Khaitoum as are several other genera, specimens of which have been secured but not yet identified. Hr. Craig of the Egyptian Survey kindly presented a small insect collection made on the White Nile.

Travels in Central Africa,” &c., quoted in Austen’s Monograph of the tse-tse flies. (Nat. Hist. Brit. Mus.)

- The species on the camel is Hippobosca camelina L., that on the horse H. equina Linn. The dog in Egypt

is attacked by H. Cctnis Leach. Probably H. Maculatct L. also occurs on cattle and horses.