Factors behind the establishment, population increase and continued dispersion of the Deer Ked in Norway and the effects on Norwegian wild cervids

Project leader:
Bjørnar Ytrehus

Summary:
The project will generate knowledge about the deer ked and its effect on moose in order to facilitate prophylactic measurements against the malicious effects this insect may have in Norwegian nature.

 Subgoals:

1. Current status
   1.      1.1. Examine the current distribution of deer keds in Norway (link to paper)
   2.      1.2. Scientifically describe the outbreak of alopecia in moose in Värmland, Østfold, Akershus and Hedmark (link to paper)
2. Environmental factors that may affect the deer ked population
   1.      2.1. Quantify, on a large scale, if there is a correlation between density of cervids, local climate, habitat and deer ked infestation intensity on moose.
   2. 2.2. Describe the phenology of deer keds during swarming in an established   deer ked area and a site in the expansion front.
3.  3. Describe to which degree deer keds affect moose health and condition
   1.  3.1. Describe changes in skin morphology associated with deer ked infestation and their effect on coat insulation

Partners

• Centre for Evololutionary and Ecological Synthesis ved Universitetet i Oslo, Atle Mysterud
• Norsk institutt for naturforskning, Erling J.Solberg
• Norges veterinærhøgskole, Jacques Godfroid
• Meteorologisk institutt, Ketil Isaksen og Hans-Olav Hygen
• Akademiska sjukhuset i Uppsala, Eva Hjelm
• Statens veterinärmedicinska anstalt, Jonas Malmsten
• Universitetene i Oulo, Jyväskylä, Joensuu og Helsinki, Arja Kaitala, Sauli Laaksonen og Hannu Ylönen
• Naturhistorisk museum ved Universitetet i Oslo, Phillip David Harris

www.flattogflue.no 

Tidspan: Jan 2010 - Jan 2013