The population biology of the Australian sheep blowfly, Lucilia cuprina, in New Zealand

The population biology of Lucilia cuprina in the lower North Island of New Zealand was investigated using trap data and estimates of gene flow from genetic data. The results from the trap survey provided evidence that L. cuprina may be restricted to sheep farms and, within these, is predominantly found in the presence of sheep. Gene flow (Nm) estimates are moderate with no isolation by distance pattern evident. This is an indication that one of the major contributors to fly migration between regions is the movement of infested sheep rather than movement of the flies themselves, demonstrating that L. cuprina has a low tendency for dispersal when favourable habitat conditions exist. These results suggest that localised control measures such as large scale trapping and genetic control techniques may have potential for controlling L. cuprina numbers while reducing reliance on insecticide use.