Flight behavior and nocturnal resting sites of Tabanus abactor Philip (Diptera: Tabanidae) in the Texas Rolling Plains

Flight behaviour and nocturnal resting sites of the females of Tabanus abactor (a pest of horses) were examined in a mark-recapture study the June-September 1982 in the Texas Rolling Plains. Of 2046 tabanids released from valley and hilltop sites, 5% (104) were relocated, and most flew with the prevailing southerly winds. T. abactor preferred sheltered, low-lying valleys and slopes to open, flat hilltops for nocturnal resting sites. The flies were solitary and inactive at night unless disturbed. They rested at various heights, depending upon the vegetation available in the area, and preferred habitats in dense cover.