Tabanid flies (Diptera: Tabanidae) of Rajiv Gandhi National Park, Karnataka, India

Abstract

A faunistic study, to record the tabanid fauna of Rajiv Gandhi National Park, Karnataka State, India, was conducted for two years (June 2003 to May 2005). The study showed a total 20 species of tabanids belonging to 5 genera of 3 sub families. The following three species viz., Haematopota cordigera Bigot 1891, Tabanus dorsilinea Wiedmann, 1824, and T. monotaeniatus Bigot, 1882 are being reported for the first time from south India while seven of the collected species vizAtylotus virgo Wiedmann, 1824, Chrysops dispar Fabricius 1798, H. javana Wiedmann, 1821, T. diversifronsRicardo, 1911, T. gertrudae Philip, 1960, T. speciosus Ricardo, 1911, and T. triceps Thunberg, 1827 are new records for Karnataka. Five of the recorded species viz A. agrestis, A. virgo, C. dispar, T. dorsilinea, T. rubidus, and T. striatus, have been reported as vectors of surra or trypanosomiasis, a deadly disease in wild and domestic animals, while H. montana, T. indianus, and T. rubidus are potential vectors of anthrax.