Comparison of the Horse fly Faunas of Wetland areas in Croatia (Diptera: Tabanidae)

Abstract

The horse fly fauna of three wetlands from the List of Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention) was studied from northeastern to southern Croatia by trapping in May, June, July, August and September. A total of 18.366 specimens comprising 50 species in 9 genera was identified. The number of recorded species increased from 21 and 26 in two continental wetlands, to 37 in the Mediterranean areas of Croatia. Species in the genera Chrysops, Atylotus, Hybomitra, Tabanus and Haematopota were present in all three wetland areas. Species of the genera: Therioplectes, Dasyrhamphis and Philipomyia were found only in the Neretva Delta in the Mediterranean area, whereas the genus Heptatoma was only found in the continental wetland areas. In all three wetlands the four most abundant species belong to the Boreal – Eurasian biogeographical group. However, not one Mediterranean species was found in wetlands in the continental part of Croatia. The collections also contained three halophilous species. The So renson index indicated a rather high degree of similarity between horse fly faunas of the continental wetlands area (80.85). Conversely, both continental wetland areas had the smallest values when compared with wetland areas of the Neretva Delta in the Mediterranean part of Croatia (41.38 and 47.62). During this study Tabanus darimonti Leclercq, 1964 was recorded in Croatia for the first time. The total number of species of the family Tabanidae currently known in Croatia increased to 78. The horse fly species collected in these three wetland areas comprise 64 % of the horse fly species known to occur in Croatia.