Terrestrial Arthropods of Northwest Florida Salt Marshes: Diptera (Insecta)

A report on the species of Diptera captured in nearly 16,000 sweeps of various types of salt marsh vegetation in northwest Florida is presented. A total of 87 species belong ing to 58 genera and 25 families was collected in the 15-month study. These numbers aPe similar to those found in other North American marshes, when the same types of vegetation and sampling methods are compared. Approximately 75% of the species and 78% of the genera captured in Florida had been reported previously from other marshes in North America. The more common families in Florida, in terms of numbers of species captured, were the Ephydridae, Muscidae, Ceratopogonidae, Chloropidae, and Culicidae