The success of any tsetse control program depends on the knowledge of their behaviour. This study assessed the host choice and feeding behaviours of Glossina morsitans siblings whose parents were bloodfed on rabbits, guinea pigs, rodents, and squirrels. Each individual host was placed in a screen cage, which allowed flies to enter through openings on each side. The groups of flies (20 per replicate), which were colour-marked differently based on their parents’ blood meal hosts, were released from the centre of large semi-field cage. The released flies were aspirated after 24 h and then sorted based on their location, feeding status, and parents’ blood meal. A total of 213 flies (72.95% of those recovered) were attracted to the hosts. The numbers of flies attracted to different hosts varied significantly (χ²₄ = 33.685, p = 0.0001): rodents (n = 80, p = 0.006), rabbits (n = 59, p = 0.331), guinea pigs (n = 49, p = 0.057), and squirrels (n = 25, p = 0.005). The numbers of flies attracted to their parent’s blood meal source varied significantly (χ²₁₂ = 56.476, p < 0.001): rabbits (n = 35, 59.32%, p < 0.001), rodents (n = 25, 31.25%, p = 0.043), and guinea pigs (n = 19, 38.78%, p = 0.45). But only 39 flies (18.31% of the total attracted) bloodfed on the hosts, including guinea pigs (n = 10, 25.64%), rodents (n = 23, 58.97%), rabbits (n = 6, 15.38%), and squirrels (n = 0, 0.0%). There was significant variation in the number of flies that fed successively across hosts (χ²₄ = 49.478, p < 0.001). The findings from this study confirm the presence of differential attractiveness of the hosts to flies and the so-called “Hopkins host selection principle” or “pre-imaginal conditioning”. Therefore, the study attracts the need for detailed investigation on the influence of blood meal sources on tsetse fly siblings’ behaviours across filial generations using small mammals or other large mammal species.

The success of any tsetse control programs depends on the knowledge of their behaviour. This study assessed the host choice and feeding behaviours of Glossina morsitans’ siblings whose parents were bloodfed on Rabbits, Guinea pigs, Rodents and Squirrels. Individual host was placed in a screen cage which allowed flies to enter through openings on each side. The groups of flies (20 per replicate) colour-marked differently basing on their parents’ bloodmeal hosts, were released from the centre of large semi-field cage. Released flies were aspirated after 24 hours, then, sorted basing on the location, feeding status and parents’ bloodmeal. A total of 213 flies (72.95% of the recovered) were attracted to the hosts. The number of flies attracted to different hosts varied significantly (χ²4= 33.685, p= 0.0001); Rodent (n=80, p=0.006), Rabbit (n=59, p=0.331), Guinea pig (n=49, p=0.057) and squirrel (n=25, p=0.005). The number of flies attracted to their parent’s blood meal source varied significantly (χ²12 = 56.476, p<0.001); rabbits (n= 35, 59.32%, p<0.001), rodent (n=25, 31.25%, p=0.043) and guinea pig (n= 19, 38.78%, p=0.45). But, only 39 flies (18.31% of total attracted) bloodfed on the hosts; Guinea pigs (n=10, 25.64%), Rodents (n=23, 58.97%), Rabbits (n=6, 15.38%) and Squirrels (n=0,0.0%). There was significant variation in number of flies that fed successively across hosts (χ²4=49.478, p<0.001). The findings from this study confirms the presence of the hosts’ differential attractiveness to flies but failed to explain observed behaviours with reference to genetic inheritance. Therefore, the study attracts the need for detailed investigation on the influence of bloodmeal sources on tsetsefly siblings’ behaviours across filial generations using small mammals.

The successful control of tsetse flies largely depends on understanding of the species available and abundance. This study assessed the species richness, abundance and apparent density of wild collected tsetse flies from selected human-wildlife-livestock interface in Tanzania. Seasonal trapping using baited NZI, Pyramidal and Biconical traps was done across selected wards. Traps were set at 200 m apart, emptied after every 24 h then rotated to the next sites after 72 h. Collected flies were identified morphologically and letter confirmed using the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Only two Glossina species; Glossina pallidipes (n = 371; 47.32 %) and Glossina morsitans morsitans (n = 413; 52.68 %) were identified. Among them, 96 flies (80 Female, 16 Male) were blood fed; 57(48 Female and 9 Male) G. pallidipes and 39(32 Female and 7 Male) G.m. morsitans. Tsetse fly abundance varied across wards (chi(2) = 4.597, df = 1, p = 0.032), villages (chi(2) = 9.491, df = 3, p = 0.023), habitats (chi(2) = 17.239, df = 2, p < 0.001), months (chi 2 = 13.507, df = 3, p = 0.004) and deployed traps (chi 2 = 6.348, df = 2, p = 0.04). About 78.82 % of the total catch occurred in Kisaki ward (n = 618; p <0.001) and 21.17 % (n = 166; p = 0.032) in Bwakila chini. Similarly, 62.37 % of the catch occurred in Mbojoge village. NZI traps (n = 422; 54 %; 4.98 FTD) were most successful traps. Moreover, 78.06 % of the catch occurred in bushed grassland habitat (n = 612; 55.41 FTD) while 5.48 % in farmland (n = 43; 7.17 FTD). This study recommends NZI and Pyramidal traps for tsetse flies control at the interface and proposes wet season as appropriate time for successful trapping of the flies. Finally, it attracts a need for assessing tsetse flies' blood meal sources and the infection status to establish the prevalence to inform existing trypanosome control programs.