Repellents of biting flies

Pronunciation: /ree-PEL-ents of BYE-ting fliez/

Category: Medical/Veterinary Entomology

Definition

Substances or devices that reduce the frequency or intensity of landing or biting by blood-feeding —such as mosquitoes (), (), biting (Ceratopogonidae), horse and (), and ()—by acting on their -seeking or alighting rather than by . Repellents may function through olfactory, , visual, or tactile mechanisms; they include synthetic chemicals (e.g., DEET, picaridin, IR3535), compounds (e.g., citronella, PMD from lemon eucalyptus), spatial barriers (e.g., permethrin-treated clothing, -impregnated bed nets), and physical deterrents (e.g., fans, smoke). Efficacy is typically measured by complete protection time or reduction in landing/biting rates under field or cage assay conditions.

Etymology

Example

In field trials against Aedes aegypti in Thailand, a 20% picaridin provided >95% protection from landing bites for 8 hours, outperforming lower-concentration DEET lotions and demonstrating that synthetic repellents of biting flies remain critical tools in - regions where vaccine coverage is incomplete.

Synonyms

arthropod repellents
insect repellents
bite deterrents

Related Terms

DEET
picaridin
permethrin
spatial repellents
contact irritancy
landing rate
complete protection time
host-seeking behavior
Olfactometer
personal protection measures
integrated vector management

Usage Notes

Distinguished from , which kill rather than deter; from attractants, which draw insects toward a target; and from feeding inhibitors, which may permit landing but block blood ingestion. The term is sometimes narrowed to topical skin repellents, but properly encompasses spatial and fabric treatments. 'Biting flies' is a functional grouping, not a taxonomic one, and usage varies—some sources exclude mosquitoes, others include () or exclude smaller . Efficacy claims require -specific validation: a compound repellent to Anopheles may fail against Aedes or Tabanus.