Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1970 Tabanidae (Diptera): Some Systematic Aspects. Mac Anthony Tidwell Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Tidwell, Mac Anthony, "Tabanidae (Diptera): Some Systematic Aspects." (1970). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 1813. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/1813 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 71-3445 TIDWELL, Mac Anthony, 1939- TABANIDAE (DIPTERA): SOME SYSTEMATIC ASPECTS. The Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, Ph.D., 1970 Entomology University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan THIS DISSERTATION HAS BEEN MICROFILMED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED Tabanidae (Diptera): Some Systematic Aspects A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Zoology and Physiology by Mac Anthony Tidwell B,S., University of Florida, 1961 M.S., Auburn University, 1963 May, 1970 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author wishes to express his appreciation for the assistance of the individuals who have helped make this work possible. My gratitude is extended to members of my committee, Drs. G. H. Lowery, J. H. Roberts, Nell B. Causey, and Dan F. Clower, for their guidance and helpful sugges­ tions; to Drs. K. L. Corkum, W. R. Lee, W. L. French, all of Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge; H. R. Hermann, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia; and G. B. Fair­ child, Gorgas Memorial Laboratory, Panama, for their ad­ vice and special assistance. For the many specimens that were made available to me for study, I wish to thank Drs. W. T. Atyeo, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia; F. S. Blanton, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida; M. A. Poirrier, Louisiana State University, New Orleans; R. E. Tandy, Florida Technological University, Orlando, Florida; and Mr. D. E. Hahn, Cottonwood, Arizona. In addition to the many specimens they provided, Drs. K. L. Hays, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama; and Matt Dakin, University of Southeastern Louisiana, Lafayette, Louisiana, provided special information and data for many species. Dr. H. R. Hepburn, University of Bristol, Bris­ tol, England, provided many of the Mississippi specimens ii including a male and female of the rare Haematonota punc- tulata. Dr. C. B. Philip, Rocky Mountain Laboratory, Hamilton, Montana, provided specimens as well as pertinent comments concerning various aspects of biology and taxo- nomy of numerous species of tabanids. The author wishes to extend thanks to Dr. H. J. Teskey, Entomology Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, for the loan of specimens as well as the suggestions that he so freely provided concerning various larval aspects and technique, and for his constant encouragement and support during this investigation. Gratitude is expressed to Dr. L. L. Pechuman, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, who so generously gave his time to aid me in my investigation of the Tabanidae. In addition to identifying many species, he made available specimens for comparative purposes and offered many valu­ able suggestions and comments. A special acknowledgment is due to Dr. Walter J. Harman, my major professor, for his guidance and constant encouragement during this investigation and without whose help this work would not have been possible. TABLE OF CONTENTS Title P a g e ...... i Acknowledgments ........................... ii Table of Contents............ iv List of Illustrations ............................... vii List of Graphs .................. viii Abstract ....................................... ix I. Introduction......... 1 II. Ecological Aspects .......................... 7 III. Materials and Methods .................... 13 IV. Larval Morphology .......... 19 V. Adult Morphology............................ 23 VI. Keys to the Tabanidae •••••.................. 26 Key to Genera of the Larvae of Tabanidae 26 Key to Larvae of Chrysops............ 27 Key to Larvae of Tabanus................... 29 Key to Genera of Adult Tabanidae....... 30 Key to Females of Chrysops ...... 32 Key to Males of Chrysops ......... 36 Key to Females of Tabanus.......... 41 Key to Males of Tabanus .... 47 VII. Species Accounts ......... 53 Merycornyia whitneyi (Johnson) .............. 53 Silvius quadrivittatus (Say) ....... 54 Diachlorus ferrugatus (Fabricius) ....... 55 StenotaSanus magnicallus (Stone) ...... 55 6hlorotabanus~crepuscuIaris (Bequaert) ...... 56 Wbitnevomvia beatifica (wbitney) ............ 57 Leucotabanus annulatus (Say) ........... 57 Hvbomitra difficills Ttfiedemann) ..... 53 Hybomltra lasiopbtKalma (Macquart) ..... 59 Hybomitra trispila (Wiedemann) .............. 59 iv Agkistrocerus negerlei (Wiedemann) Hamatabanus caFolinensia (Macquart) Hamatabanus sexfasciatus (Stone) •• Chrysops abatus Philip ...... atlanticus Pechuman •••••• beameri brennan . bistellatus Daeeke..... brimlevl bine ............. brunneus K i n e . callldus Osten Sacken .... carbonarius Walker .«••••• celatus Pechuman .... .... cinctlcornis Walker ..... dacne Philip ........ dxmmocki H i n e . flavxdus Wiedemann ...... fulviatigmus H i n e . gemxnatus geminatus Wiedemann gemxnatus impunctus Krober •• macquartl Philip ............ moechus "Qsten Sacken ...... montanus Osten Sacken ..... nlger Macouart ............. nxgrxbimbo Whitney ......... obsoletus obsoletas Wiedemann obsoletus lugens Wiedemann •. parvulus Daecke ......... Pikei WHitney .... ..... pudicus Osten Sacken ..... reicherti Fairchild ••••••••• se par at us Hine • «•••...... sequax Wxlliston ....... strxatus Osten Sacken •••••••< univittatus Macquart....... , upsxlon Philip ...... vxttatus Wiedemann......... , Tabanus aar Philip ........ abdominalis Fabricius...... acutus (bigot) .......... amerxcanus Forster • •«.. aranti H a y s ...... .......... atratus Fabricius calens Linnaeus •••••«•••••••< cbeliopterus Eondani ......... coarctatus S tone....... .. colon tKunberg ...... cymatophorus Osten Sacken •••. eadsx Philip ................. endymion Osten Sacken •••••«•• i'aircbildi Stone .... Tabanus fulvulus Wiedemann 100 fuscicostatus H i n e ...... ••••••.........101 imitans Walker ....... 102 lineola lineola Fabricius...... 103 lineola hinellus Philip .......... 103 longlusculus klne ..... 106 maculipennis Wiedemann ..... 107 melanocerus Wiedemann.............. 106 moderator Stone ...................... 113 molest us"*Say............ 113 mularis Stone ........................ 113 nefarius Hine ............... 116 nigrescens Palisot de Beauvois ........ 116 nigripes Wiedemann ........... 116 nigrovittatus Macquart ...... 119 pallidescens Philip .................. 121 proximus Walker ...................... 123 pumilus “Macquart ...•••................. 124 quaesitus Stone....... 123 quinquevittatus Wiedemann ......... 126 reinwardtii Wie’demann ...••....... •••*. 126 sagax Osten Sacken........... 127 spar us mi He r i Whitney .............. 127 stygius"5ay .................. 127 supsimilis Bellardi ............. 129 sulcifrons Macquart....... 130 texanus 6ine .............. 131 trimaculatus Palisot de Beauvois ....... 132 turbidus Wiedemann ............ 133 venustus Osten Sacken............ 137 wilsoni “Pechuman..................... 137 zythicolor Philip ....... 136 VIII. Discussion and Conclusions .............. 139 Literature Cited ..................................... 144 Figures.... ..................... 130 Vita .... 160 vi LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Number Page 1. Tabanid larva showing principle taxonomic characters...... .............. 150 2. Head of Chrysops (frontal view) ............. 151 3. Wing of Chrysops ...... 151 4. Head of Tabanus (frontal view) .............. 152 5. Antenna of Tabanus (lateral view) .......... 152 6. Wing of Tabanus showing cells and veins 152 7-35. Larvae of Tabanidae ................. 153 36. Major ecological regions of Louisiana ...... 159 vii LIST OF GRAPHS Graph Number Page 1. Degree of development of median abdominal triangle on tergite two (crossing or not crossing segment) plotted with corresponding frons ratio for 153 specimens of Tabanus melanocerus-petiolatus ............. 110 2. Body length plotted with corresponding frons ratio for 153 specimens of Tabanus melanocerus- petiolatus ..... 110 3. Vertex width plotted with corresponding frons ratio for 153 specimens of Tabanus melanocerus- petiolatus ................................... Ill 4. Frequency of expression of petiolate, closed, and open condition of wing cell plotted with corresponding frons ratio in 153 specimens of Tabanus melanocerus-petiolatus ............... Ill 5. Frequency curve for vertex width in 252 speci­ mens of Tabanus turbidus-equalis. and inter­ mediate forms .............................•••• 134 6. Frequencies of expression of antennal color with frons ratio for 252 specimens of Tabanus turbidus-equalis, and intermediate forms ...... 136 viii ABSTRACT A study to elucidate some aspects associated with tabanid populations was conducted with an emphasis on sys­ tematic relationships. Distribution of the Louisiana Tabanidae