Insect or Invertebrates Identification - DONE

[ExFmem]

Family Tabanidae (Horse flies, deer flies, etc)
Taken in Kruger







(Above pic from The Manual of Afrotropical Diptera Vol. 2
https://www.nhm.ac.uk/content/dam/nhmww ... me-two.pdf )

Re: Tabanus taeniola versus Tabanus taeniola variatus



It is a bit confusing since the description above points out T. taeniola (D) has medial STRIPE, while the subspecies variatus (E) has medial TRIANGLES, yet the last pic above labelled T. taeniola has triangles.

Descriptions here:

https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/211 ... pdf/287796

May not even be either, based on my checkered past….

[ExFmem]

Now, on to those pesky Wooly Bee Flies.....will see what I can dig up.

[Klipspringer]

Tabanus ustus looks alike
_______________________________________________

here another picture of T. t. variatus
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=htt ... egUIARDPAQ

The stripes on the thorax are indistinct in your photo.

Better make it only a Tabanus sp. (male)

[ExFmem]

And a few more insects for nan

If you look at the photos for this one, we can tell the genus ID, too

40. Wing cell br longer than cell bm (Fig. 58); palpus 2-segmented . . . . . . . . . . .Australoechus Greathead
– Wing cell br equal in length to cell bm (Fig. 19); palpus 1-segmented . . . . Anastoechus Osten Sacken

=Anastoechus

[Klipspringer]

And a few more insects for nan

If you look at the photos for this one, we can tell the genus ID, too

40. Wing cell br longer than cell bm (Fig. 58); palpus 2-segmented . . . . . . . . . . .Australoechus Greathead
– Wing cell br equal in length to cell bm (Fig. 19); palpus 1-segmented . . . . Anastoechus Osten Sacken

=Anastoechus

But Systoechus has this too

[Klipspringer]

My take on Tabanidae ID:
Tabanidae can be recocnized by the third antennal segment which is elongate and has a cylindrical extension with rings (or annulations) that appear like miniature segments and the absence of large setae on body and legs. A less formal but painful means of identification is that most relatively large flies that bite are female tabanids.
The largest species in South Africa are Tabanus biguttatus, T. ustus, Philoliche rostrata and P. aethiopica with a length of about 23 mm.
A study in the south-eastern KNP sampled these species: Tabanus minuscularius, Tabanus chevalieri, Tabanus gratus, Tabanus atrimanus, Tabanus cf. sericiventris, Atylotus agrestis, Chrysops obliquefasciata, Philoliche (Buplex) suavis, Haematopota vittata, Haematopota decora and Haemotopota daveyi. The dominant species from the sampled sites was Tabanus minuscularius.

Tabanus atrimanus also has a white coloured pattern of median triangular spots on the abdomen.
https://repository.up.ac.za/bitstream/h ... sequence=1

I don't know how much of variation there is within a species, but none of the Tabanus sp with triangular spots I have seen on photos matches the one we have. None of the descriptions mentions eye patterns similar to the one we have.
I guess there are numerous other species in the area that look similar and we have one of these.

[Klipspringer]

Not very easy from the angle, Richprins

But I think you are spot on. Check these ones:





Perhaps you can get a better photo next time or you can observe the mating and then follow up

[Richprins]

That is as good as my pics get in the dark corners!

Yes, definitely the womans!

[Klipspringer]

It was now some time that I had been thinking of going further north in order to change the scenery and the day before I had booked two nights at the Shingwedzi Camp. Unfortunately, the weather forecasts were rather discouraging, but done was done and I had to get the best out it so on a Wednesday morning I left Phalaborwa heading north.




I stopped at Mopani for breakfast, which I cannot recommend

At least there was a bit of wildlife

A praying mantis

Lisbeth, I think, this is the female Sphodromantis gastrica. Do you agree?

[Lisbeth]

If you say so, Klippie, I trust you

I did look it up and also if it has no real relevance, I agree with you