Tabanidae (Diptera) da zona costeira amazônica

Abstract

Horseflies (Diptera: Tabanidae) are flies of the suborder Brachycera found on almost all continents except the coldest regions of the globe. In the Neotropics, there are more than 1,800 described species in 65 genera. In the Amazon there are at least 250 recorded species of tabanids. Despite being incriminated as competent vectors of pathogens, few studies on the importance of coastal tabanids have been developed in the Amazon. The present study aims to survey the species of Tabanidae in the coastal areas of Amazon, in the entomological collections, mainly from the Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi (Belém, Pará), Instituto de Pesquisas Científicas e Tecnológicas do Estado do Amapá (Macapá, Amapá) and collections in Maranhão, São Luiz and Caxias; to define gaps of unsampled areas in the coastal zone. Identification of specimens was made with the support of L S Gorayeb, using the scientific literature and comparisons with the collection of the Goeldi Museum. All data from the specimens collected in the coastal zone of the mentioned collections are being organized in spreadsheets and analyzed. From the Maranhão collection, 389 specimens were recorded, distributed among 25 species of tabanids from the coastal zone of Maranhão. Among these, the species with the highest abundance were 196 Tabanus kwatta, 32 T. occidentalis varo dorso vitta tus, 28 T. obsoletus, 27 Dichelacera bifacies, 17 Stypommisa sp.n., 10 Phaeotabanus cajennensis, 8 T. glaucus, 8 T. claripennis, 8 T. pungens, 7 Cryptotylus unicolor, and 54 from 15 other species. Equine bait was the most efficient method, recording 8 species exclusively with it; Malaise traps were also efficient and recorded 4 exclusive species. The localities studied in Maranhão were: Barreinha with 196 records, Praia da Baronesa with 105, Tutóla with 78, and Ilha do Cajual with 7, showing large unsampled gaps. The months of the rainy season and after the dry season were not sampled. The data from the Pará and Amapá collections will be presented in the final report.