Seasonal Flight Period and Relative Abundance of Tabanidae (Diptera) near Ithaca, New York

Abstract

Trapping of adult tabanids near Ithaca, New York, during the summer of 1970 yielded 5140 specimens representing 37 species. In 1971, the 15,694 specimens caught included 34 species. In all, 43 species belonging to the genera Atylotus, Chrysops, Hybomitra , and Tabanus were caught. Flight dates and abundance are given for all species. Species which were far more abundant than all others in both years were H. lasiophthalma (Macquart), T. quinquevittatus Wiedemann, and T. sulcifrons Macquart. These and other abundant species had longer flight seasons than did less abundant species and occurred in much higher numbers in daily catches. A trap within a pasture containing livestock caught more species and greater numbers of specimens than did either of 2 traps isolated from such animals.