Observations on seasonal incidence and abundance of haematophagus higher Diptera other than tsetse (Diptera: Glossinidae) in the Sabi valley of Zimbabwe, and comparisons with tabanid catches from elsewhere in Zimbabwe

In the course of an attempt to demonstrate the natural transmission of bovine trypanosomiasis by agents other than Glossina spp., which was staged in the Sabi Valley of Zimbabwe in 1963-65, a total of 6205 specimens from 28 species of Tabanidae was recorded from captures made on bait-oxen in 2 grazing areas, riverine and woodland (Copaifera mopane (Colophospermum mopane)). Fourteen of these species were taken in sufficient numbers in the 2 years to enable their flight seasons in the Sabi Valley to be determined with some accuracy. Their incidence in the 2 types of habitat sampled is discussed, and their seasonal distributions are also compared with those from 2 other large collections of Tabanidae made in other low veldt areas of Zimbabwe. Considerable differences in the fauna of the 3 areas was evidenced by the fact that only 13 of the 42 species captured in the 3 areas were common to all 3. Great differences were shown in lengths of flight season for the various species, with these varying from all year round to not more than a 5 week period in either year. Appreciable differences were also shown in some cases in the times of occurrence of a species in the different areas.