Species Composition and Diurnal Activity Rhythm of Tabanids (Diptera: Tabanidae) at the Ivindo National Park and Its Environs
Affiri Odzame Joseph-Marie
Université des Sciences et Techniques de MASUKU, BP 941, Franceville, Gabon.
Sevidzem Silas Lendzele *
Ecole Doctorale des Grandes Ecoles (EDGE), Libreville, Gabon.
Zinga Koumba Christophe Roland
Institut de Recherche en Ecologie Tropicale (IRET), BP 13354, Libreville, Gabon.
Mounioko Franck
Université des Sciences et Techniques de MASUKU, BP 941, Franceville, Gabon.
Koumba Armel Aubin
Institut de Recherche en Ecologie Tropicale (IRET), BP 13354, Libreville, Gabon.
Rodrigue Mintsa
Institut de Recherche en Ecologie Tropicale (IRET), BP 13354, Libreville, Gabon.
Acapovi-Yao Genevieve Lydie
Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny, UFR Biosciences 22, BP: 582; Abidjan 22, Côte d’Ivoire.
M’batchi Bertrand
Université des Sciences et Techniques de MASUKU, BP 941, Franceville, Gabon.
Jacques François Mavoungou
Université des Sciences et Techniques de MASUKU, BP 941, Franceville, Gabon and Institut de Recherche en Ecologie Tropicale (IRET), BP 13354, Libreville, Gabon.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
An entomological prospection to show the species composition and diurnal activity of tabanids was carried out using 15 Vavoua traps, during the rainy season (25th Sept-5th Oct and 21st Oct-9th Nov 2018), in the secondary forest [Ivindo National Park (INP)] and Village-Town sites in and around the biosphere reserve Ipassa-IRET Makokou in Gabon. In total, 839 tabanids were caught with 747 recorded at INP and regrouped under 11 species of the genus Tabanus [T. taeniola (57.76%), T. ricardae (26.32%), T. par (5.54%), T. ruficrus (3.74%), T. socius (3.74%), T. disjunctus (2.49%), T. marmorosus (0.28%) and T. obscurehirtus (0.14%)]. However, two species of the genus Chrysops [C. dimidiatus (70.83%) and C. silaceus (29.17%)] and one species of the genus Haematopota [H. pluvialis (100%)] were only identified at INP. While in the Village-Town sites, 92 tabanids were caught and regrouped under five species of the genus Tabanus [T. ruficrus (14.13%), T. taeniola (9.78%), T. ricardae (73.91%), T. par (1.09%), and T. marmorosus (1.09%)]. Tabanids were more abundant in the forest (7.12 tabanid/trap/day) as compared to the Village-Town (0.77 t/t/d) with a statistically significant difference (P<0.05). At INP, tabanids showed a unimodal activity pattern with peak attained between 12-14H and in the anthropized milieu (14-16H) and dominated by females.
Keywords: Hematophagous flies, park, reserve, Vavoua traps, biotope, rainy season, Gabon