Flight routes of Tabanidae in a Louisiana bottomland hardwood forest

A test using marked flies was devised to determine if roadways or other open lanes through woodland are the major flight route used by females of Tabanus spp. (primarily T. fuscicostatus Hine and T. lineola F.) in long flights ( more than or equal to 1 km) in a south Louisiana bottomland hardwood forest. The usage of lane routes versus wooded routes was tested by comparing the number of marked tabanids that were recaptured at the end of each route. Statistical analysis revealed that 95% of these comparisons showed no significant difference. These data and other considerations indicate that roadways are probably not used for the majority of long flights in forests in this area.