Abstract:
Response of tabanids to unbaited and baited traps was studied during July 2012 to April 2014. Surveys were covered the main vegetations habitats in Ed Damazein, Er Roseries and Umm Banein Localities, using Nzi, Biconical and Vavoua traps. Ed Damazein Locality tabanids comprise of Atylotus agrestis (93.28%), Tabanus taeniola (6.06%), T. par (0.13%), T. sufis (0.07%) T. biguttatus (0.07%), Philoliche magretti (0.26%) and Haematopota species (0.13%); tabanids of Er Roseries Locality including A. agrestis (83.57%), A. fuscipes (6.50%), T. taeniola (2.56%), T. biguttatus (0.46%), T. sufis (0.34%), Ph. magretti (6.31%) and Haematopota species (0.26%); while Umm Bbanein Locality tabanids involving A. agrestis (80.31%), T. sufis (15.69%) and T. taeniola (4.13%). The predominant A. agrestis together with T. taeniola were encountered with different proportion throughout the seasons. The A. fuscipes, T. biguttatus and Ph. magretti were caught during the rainy and cool-dry seasons; T. sufis was trapped in both the cool and hot-dry seasons; while T. par and Haematopota species were only captured in the rainy and cool-dry season, respectively. The majority of the horse flies are abundant during the rainy season. The A. agrestis showed bimodal curve of flight; the smaller peak signaling the start of the rain and the higher one at the end of the rainy season and the beginning of the cool-dry season (October- November) in addition to the other species. In general in the Blue Nile region the Nzi trap was always superior to the Biconicals and Vavoua traps trapped significant (p < 0.5) more flies including Ph. magretti; nevertheless the later traps caught more T. biguttatus than the Nzi one. The modified Nzi traps caught more tabanids, yet they were not significantly better than the original Nzi trap. Neither the modified nor the fresh and fermented urine-baited Nzi traps caught significantly more tabanids than did unbaited orginal Nzi trap.
