TITLE:
Species Composition and Relative Abundance of Tsetse Flies along the Shabelle River, Somalia: Findings from Four Survey Rounds in Balcad and Afgooye Districts
AUTHORS:
Jeilani Busuri Mio, Yusuf Oyow Osman, H.M.J. Mohamed, Juweiria Abdikadir Mohamud, Suleiman Abdwahid Sheikh, Adan Mohamed Ali, Moktar Omer Sheikh Mohamed, Zakariye Abdifatah Ahmed, Mohamed Dhayib Abubakar
KEYWORDS:
African Animal Trypanosomiasis, Apparent Density, Glossina, Shabelle River, Somalia, Tsetse Surveillance
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Veterinary Medicine,
Vol.16 No.10,
October
15,
2026
ABSTRACT: Background: Contemporary information on tsetse flies in Somalia is limited, particularly along the Shabelle River. This study described tsetse catches, provisional morphological species composition, and catch patterns by district, trap type, lure, and ecological setting to provide an exploratory baseline for future surveillance. Methods: Four entomological survey rounds were conducted at purposively selected sites in Balcad and Afgooye districts. Twelve traps (six per district) were deployed in each round for 72 hours, producing 48 trap deployments and 144 active trap-days. In each district, one biconical and one NGU trap were paired with each of three lure treatments: cattle urine, cattle urine plus acetone, and cattle milk. Each of four ecological settings received three traps per round and contributed 36 trap-days over the survey. Captures were collected after 72 hours, recorded on field forms, and identified morphologically. Apparent density was calculated as catch divided by active trap days. Results: A total of 267 tsetse flies were captured over 144 trap-days (1.85 flies/trap/day [FTD]). Specimens were provisionally classified as Glossina pallidipes (217; 81.3%; 1.51 FTD) or G. austeni (50; 18.7%; 0.35 FTD). Balcad produced 217 catches over 72 trap-days (3.01 FTD), compared with 50 over 72 trap-days in Afgooye (0.69 FTD). Biconical and NGU traps produced 1.82 and 1.89 FTD, respectively. Urine plus acetone produced 3.19 FTD, urine 1.56 FTD, and milk 0.81 FTD. Dense riverine forest produced 3.11 FTD, irrigated farmland 1.61 FTD, peri-urban agriculture 1.47 FTD, and grazing corridors 1.22 FTD. Conclusion: Catches differed substantially between sampled deployments in Balcad and Afgooye and among the sampled ecological settings. Most specimens were provisionally identified as G. pallidipes. Urine plus acetone was associated with the highest unadjusted catch; however, the design did not separate lure performance from trap-location effects. Independent species verification and trap-visit-level analysis are required before causal or operational conclusions are drawn.