Diversity of horseflies (Diptera: Tabanidae) of highly protected nature areas in Croatia: an overview

Abstract

In Croatia, 55 taxa of Tabanidae (species and subspecies) were recorded in 17 of 22 highly protected nature categories, including Strict Reserves, National Parks and Nature Parks. These taxa amounted to 70.51% of the Tabanidae fauna of Croatia. New records were discovered for the following 22 species in all three protected nature categories: Silvius alpinus (Scopoli, 1763); Chrysops caecutiens (Linnaeus, 1758); Hybomitra distinguenda (Verrall, 1909); Hybomitra muehlfeldi (Brauer in Brauer & Bergenstamm, 1880); Hybomitra pilosa (Loew, 1858); Hybomitra solstitialis (Meigen, 1820) nec Lyneborg (1959); Tabanus autumnalis Linnaeus, 1761; Tabanus bovinus Linnaeus, 1758; Tabanus bromius Linnaeus, 1758; Tabanus cordiger Meigen, 1820; Tabanus exclusus Pandellé, 1883; Tabanus glaucopis Meigen, 1820; Tabanus maculicornis Zetterstedt, 1842; Tabanus shannonellus Kröber, 1936; Tabanus sudeticus Zeller, 1842; Tabanus tergestinus Egger, 1859; Tabanus unifasciatus Loew, 1858; Haematopota grandis Meigen, 1820; Haematopota italica Meigen, 1804; Haematopota pandazisi (Kröber, 1936); Haematopota pluvialis (Linnaeus, 1758) and Dasyrhamphis ater (Rossi, 1790). Similarities among Tabanidae fauna in four Nature Parks (Kopački rit, Lonjsko polje, Medvednica and Papuk) located in continental Croatia ranged from 55.81% to 74.41%. Nature Parks (Biokovo, Dinara, Učka and Vransko Lake) in Mediterranean part of Croatia had similarities ranging from 0% to 57.14%. In National Parks, the highest similarity (47.61%) was recorded between the Plitvice Lakes and Krka.