EFFECT OF TOPOGRAPHY IN EVALUATING TABANIDAE ACTIVITY IN TEXAS ROLLING PLAINS HABITATS

The influence of topography for monitoring flight activity of Tabanida e was studied in the Texas Rolling Plains during 1997. Cyan-colored bu cket traps were used to monitor Tabanus abactor Philip and Chrysops di ssimilis Brennan. Traps situated along a mesa ridge line caught fewer T. abactor than traps on top of the mesa or below the ridge. Higher nu mbers of C. dissimilis were captured on top of the mesa than along and below the ridge line. Topography should be considered in the Texas Ro lling Plains when planning trap locations.