Flight Patterns of Simulium Jenningsi (Diptera: Simuliidae) in Central Pennsylvania, Usa1

Abstract

Flight data gathered from suction trap (1982) and airplane (1981 and 1982) collections are presented for Simulium jenningsi, one of Pennsylvania's most noxious pests. In central Pennsylvania, the seasonal flight peak occurred in mid-July; the hourly flight peak came between 1800 and 1900 h. The number of females captured was highly correlated with maximum daily temperature. Virtually all females (n = 374) were inseminated, but fewer than 1% carried mature eggs. A 99.2% reduction in trap catches occurred between 2.1 and 7.6 m, and only 4 females were collected in 100 airplane flights. These data indicate that most flights of S. jenningsi occur within the boundary layer.