Contribution à l’étude des Tabanidae (Diptera) de Camargue

Horse flies belonging to 21 species were collected at 32 sites in La Camargue and the surrounding areas (Bouches-du-Rhône, France) with C02-baited “ Manitoba ” traps or hand net, from May to September. The most common species were Hybomitra expollicata, Tabanus autumnalis, Hybomitra ciureai, Haematopota pluvialis, Haematopota bigoti and Atylotus quadrifarius. H. expol licata is a spring species, but T. autumnalis is a summer species ; H. expollicata and T. autumnalis are anautogenous. The mean life span of field-collected, caged and sweetened water-fed females H. expollicata is about 5 weeks ; and the maximum life span 9 weeks. Mature larvae and pupae were collected from the pupal habitats along the banks of marshes ; the larvae of H. expollicata were found in a decaying litter (mean density : 9,3 tabanids per square meter)) ; the larvae of T. autumnalis were found in a sandy soil (density : 1,8). The pupa of H. expollicata is parasitized by Pteromalidae (Hymenoptera) . Gulls and egrets are predators of the immature tabanids