A two-year survey was undertaken to determine the trypanosomosis risk of Egbe, a town in Kogi state of Nigeria, and its suitability for cattle raising. Tsetse flies were trapped using biconical traps and examined for trypanosome infection, and blood samples from cattle and goats were examined by blood film and haematocrit centrifugation technique (HCT) for trypanosome parasites. No infection was detected from the 152 Glossina palpalis palpalis and 52 G. tachinoides dissected over the period. Blood film examination of 181 cattle and 14 goats also gave negative results. Examination by HCT of 21 cattle from a local abattoir showed 14.3% Trypanosoma vivax infection, but the 10 resident cattle and 14 goats similarly examined were negative. The average age of the caught flies, determined by mean wing fray values (for males) and ovarian analysis (for females), was between 11 and 14 days, which is too low to sustain an infective population. Coupled with the absence of G. morsitans submorsitans, the most important vector of animal trypanosomosis in Nigeria, and the disappearance of large game from Egbe, our results would point to the area being a low trypanosomosis risk one.

A new character discovered on the superior claspers of male Glossina lonipalpis Wied. is described. This is a ciliated fold in the inner angle of the distal part of the claspers. It is absent in G. pallidipes Aust. The authors believe that this character will facilitate the study of the systematics of these species; and they propose to modify the key for the identification of Glossina.