Abstract Background The departure of the mature larvae of the horse stomach bot fly from the host indicates the beginning of a new infection period. Gasterophilus pecorum is the dominant bot fly species in the desert steppe of the Kalamaili Nature Reserve (KNR) of northwest China as a result of its particular biological characteristics. The population dynamics of G. pecorum were studied to elucidate the population development of this species in the arid desert steppe. Methods Larvae in the freshly excreted feces of tracked Przewalski’s horses (Equus przewalskii) were collected and recorded. The larval pupation experiments were carried out under natural conditions. Results There was a positive correlation between the survival rate and the number of larvae expelled (r = 0.630, p
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