70 CIRCULAR 9 7 7, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



some places, especially in mountain meadows and along streams, 

 they become very annoying. These fresh-water species are commonly 

 called punkies, no-see-ums, or biting midges. Only a few species are 

 found associated with salt marshes, but they become abundant and 

 annoying in many coastal areas. 



Aerial and ground sprays and fogs of various kinds have been used 

 in controlling salt-marsh sand flies. However, such treatments may 

 be effective for only a short time when the insects are migrating. 

 Outdoor or indoor gatherings of people can be protected with wind- 

 drifted DDT or lindane fogs or mist sprays dispersed as frequently 

 as needed. Residual treatment of vegetation with DDT around 

 living quarters, parks, and camping areas will provide some relief, 

 although the insects may fly into the areas during migration and 

 cause annoyance before contacting the treated surfaces. 



Because of the small size of these flies, ordinary window screens or 

 bed nets provide little protection against them. Relief can be ob- 

 tained, however, by painting the window and door screens with a 

 5-percent DDT solution to which 10 to 20 percent of lubricating oil 

 has been added. If the bed nets are sprayed, the heavy oil should 

 be omitted. Residual spraying of bedroom walls has also been found 

 useful. 



The larvae of salt-marsh sand flies are found in very wet muck or 

 sandy soil, usually on portions of the marsh affected by daily tides. 

 Experimental work in Florida has shown that the larvae can be con- 

 trolled with several of the new insecticides, of which dieldrin, hepta- 

 chlor, BHC, and chlordane seemed the most promising. About 2 

 pounds of chlordane per acre, 1 pound of dieldrin, heptachlor, or 

 sufficient BHC to give 1 pound of the gamma isomer gave control 

 lasting for several months. However, since these heavy dosages may 

 injure aquatic life, the treatments should be limited to places where 

 the damage will not be serious. 



Species of Phlebotomies are sufficiently numerous in some regions to 

 be rated as pests, but they are of chief importance as vectors of 

 pappataci fever, kala azar, and Oriental sore, which are widely dis- 

 tributed in southern Asia and the Mediterranean region, including 

 North Africa, and of verruga peruana, which is found in high valleys 

 among the mountains of South America. Several species are found in 

 the United States, but they are not known to be of any economic 

 importance. 



Residual spraying of indoor and outdoor resting surfaces with 

 DDT has been reported to give effective control of Phlebotomus. 

 From experiments conducted in Peru, Hertig and Fairchild (9) re- 

 ported that the treatment of stone walls, which constitute the principal 

 outdoor shelters and breeding places, gave a marked reduction of 

 sand flies. Combined with house spraying it reduced their numbers 

 to a very low level, and the effect persisted after 12 to 19 months. 

 Observations made by Dr. Hertig (8) concerning malaria-control 

 programs in Greece and Sardinia indicated a marked reduction of 

 sand flies as a result of DDT residual spraying. 



BLACK FLIES 



Blood-sucking flies of the family Simuliidae constitute a pest prob- 

 lem in many areas. In parts of Mexico. Central and South America, 



