Seasonal dynamics and temporal distribution of Tabanid flies (Diptera: tabanidae) in Warangal district, Telangana state

Introduction

Telangana is located in the south-central part of India, extending across the Deccan Plateau and the western section of the Eastern Ghats. The state lies between 12°37′ and 19°54′ North latitude and 76° 46′ and 84° 46′ East longitude. Covering an area of approximately 1.15 lakh square kilometers, out of the total geographical area, agricultural area consists of 62.4%, forests 22.51%, waste lands 5.81%, water bodies 6.03% and built-up area 3.30%. The state has tiger reserves, 7 wildlife sanctuaries and 3 national parks with diverse flora and fauna. The state has rich biological diversity consisting of over 2800 plant species and 2879 animal species, (Rao et al., 2015) [1] . The region exhibits considerable agro-climatic and biogeographic diversity, ranging from flat plains to rocky and hilly landscapes The major

Central Telangana Zone

This zone comprises the 187 mandals distributed in 11 districts viz., Sangareddy, Medak, Siddipet, Jangaon, Warangal Urban, Warangal Rural, Mahabubabad, Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Mulugu, Bhadradri Kothagudem and Khammam. The total geographical area of the zone is 38746.57 sq. km with an annual average rainfall of 978 mm. Rainfall range from 779 mm to 1213 mm and major contribution is from southwest monsoon season with 758 mm (77%). Remaining rainfall receives from North East season 121 mm (13%) winter season 24mm (2%) and summer season 75 mm (8%).

Materials and methods: Study area

The study area included was Deccan plateau, which comprises of semi-arid and red soil as mentioned Table no. 1. In this study five mandals of Warangal district were included which consists of sixteen villages (Laknavaram, Chalwai, Hasanparthi, Geeskonda, Laknepally, Govindraopet, Narsampet, Kazipet, Dharmasagar, Panthini, Singaram, Mamnoor, Bollikunta, Chintagattu,, Mupparam, Pedapendyala of erstwhile district of Warangal, Hanamkonda and Mulugu area.

Monthly collections were made during three different seasons, viz., summer season (March, April and May) rainy season (June, July, August and September), and winter season (October, November, December, January, February) during August 2023 to July 2025 from the above-mentioned villages (Table No.1). Fig. 1,2,3. 2). The flies especially females were collected by handpicking method while feeding on cattle and buffalo during rainy, winter and summer seasons. The flies were also collected by using traps viz., Nzi trap, with fermented (aged) cow urine as olfactory attractant. The data mentioned in the study deals with seasonal dynamics pertaining to female flies which were collected when they were feeding on the host. No male tabanid flies were collected during the study. [73] . Flowering plants in forests are the primary source of nectar for both male and female flies. Added to these the cattle and buffalo reared in villages of Warangal district near forest areas also serve as the source of blood meal for adult female tabanid flies. Consequently, the local flora and fauna provide suitable support for every stage of the tabanid life cycle. Along with favorable temperature and rainfall conditions and the factors discussed above, these environmental characteristics facilitate the survival and establishment of tabanid flies in the Warangal district. The statistical analysis through two-way ANNOVA further confirmed that both season and village significantly influenced tabanid abundance. The highly significant seasonal effect (F = 107.9; P < 0.01) emphasizes the strong dependence of tabanid populations on climatic conditions, particularly rainfall and humidity. Similarly, the significant village effect (F = 5.21; P < 0.01) indicates the importance of local ecological factors in determining fly distribution and abundance. These findings are consistent with earlier ecological studies on tabanids, which identified climate, vegetation, and host density as major determinants of tabanid population dynamics.

Prevalence and seasonal diversity of tabanid flies

H. montana was reported by Stone and Philip (1974) [4] ; Kapoor et al., (1990) [5] ; Veer (2004) [3] ; Vasudeva et al., (2007a) [6] , Metri et al., (2021) [7] from diverse locations in India viz., Karnataka, Manipur, Meghalaya and TamilNadu. C. dispar was reported by Chandra et al., (2015) [2] and Halder et al., (2019) [8] from Chhattisgarh; Maity et al., (2017a,c) [9,10] from West Bengal and Veer et al., (2002) from Nandan Kanan Biological Park, Bhubaneswar, Orissa, Metri et al., (2021) [7] from Karnataka.

In the present study the most abundant genus of the Tabanid flies of Warangal district was Tabanus, represented by 5 species followed by Haematopota with one species, Chrysops represented by one species. The same findings have been reported by Chandra et al., (2015) [2] with seven species of genus Tabanus, six species of genus Haematopota, one species each of genus Philoliche, Chrysops and Silvius from Chhattisgarh.

In different parts of world many researchers reported the prevalence of tabanid flies with variable climatic conditions and geographical areas. Viz., Al-Talafha et al., (2016) stated that Tabanus was the most diversified genus in the family Tabanidae and reported six species of genus Tabanus from Malaysia. Furthermore, Al-Talafha et al., (2016) reported eight species of genus Tabanus and one species of genus Chrysops from Malaysia. Al-Talafha et al., (2018) [11] described new species Tabanus zuhairi sp. Nov. from Malaysia.

The variation in findings of different workers for recording number of species under different genera may be attributed to availability of climatic conditions in different geographical area Krcmar (2005a) [12] ; Suh et al. (2015) [13] .

The seasonal activities of horsefly species also could be varying in different altitude or different places as observed by Altunsoy and kilic (2012) [14] . The genus Tabanus with the most diverse species was Tabanus rubidus 45.

Seasonal abundance

Tabanid fly populations are largely shaped by weather conditions, particularly temperature, relative humidity, and the onset of the rainy season. Their numbers generally increase during warm periods and peak in the rainy season, when environmental conditions are most favorable for their development and activity. However, instead of all species reaching peak abundance at the same time, different tabanid species tend to dominate at different periods of the year. This results in a seasonal succession, where one species peaks and then declines as another becomes more abundant later in the season In the present study adult fly abundance was greatest during the rainy season, followed by the summer season, and was lowest during the winter season. Likewise, both the number of flies captured, and the diversity of species identified were higher in the rainy season than in the other seasons. A similar report has been given by Vasudeva (2007a) [6] , who observed maximum tabanid activity during monsoon period from Rajiv Gandhi National Park, Karnataka, India, Maity et al., (2017a) [9] , Phasuk et al., (2011) [15] , Croof et al.(2017a) and Metri et al., (2021) [7] from Karnataka. According to Suh et al., (2015) [13] fly abundance during rainy season is more influenced by previous winter temperature when compared to the spring or summer season temperature.

On contrary Maity et al. (2015& 2016 a, b, c, d) [16,42,43,44] from West Bengal reported abundant fly population throughout the year with a little decline during winter from West Bengal. This may be attributed to the fact that meteorological conditions of West Bengal are different from that of Warangal, Telangana. According to Al-Talafha et al., (2005) [17] Seasonal abundance and emergence patterns in a particular tabanid species indicate its breeding schedule and how it adapts to the surrounding physical and biological environment.

According to Kruger and Krolow (2015), the richness and abundance may be increased more than two and half times if there is an increase of 2 °C in MT and of 8 per cent in mean RH. The occurrence of adult populations in hot and dry climates may be related to the larvae's requirement for warmer temperatures and higher humidity for development, as most larvae live in aquatic environments. The study however, observed a sharp increase in fly population in May month following the first rainfall. This rise would be due to the collection of many fly species of T. rubidus and T.dorsiger. Also, it was observed that the decline in number of tabanids from October to February which is probably related to the drier conditions and lower temperatures during the winter months.

According to Altunsoy and Kilic (2012) [14] and Koller et al., (2019) [18] The time between May to July could be considered as the potentially higher-risk period of mechanical transmission of pathogens by tabanids in Turkey. A similar inference also drawn from the present study as there was high tabanid [9,10] , Banerjee et al., (2023) [19] , Basu et al., (1952) [20] Tabanus rubidus and Tabanus dorsiger act as potential mechanical vectors of Surra. In India T. indianus were collected during summer season and beginning of monsoon season and T.brunnipemis T. occidentalis Hametopota montana and chrysops dispar were collected in rainy season. These flies have role in mechanical transmission of anthrax disease and Surra (Rao and Mohiyudeen, 1958), in wild and domestic animals Paulraj et al., (2025) [21] . These findings indicate that, tabanid flies which were potential vectors for fatal diseases were prevalent longer duration and might have a behavioral role in transmission of diseases in wild and domestic animals.

Conclusion

The present study was conducted to know the seasonal prevalence and diversity of tabanid flies in Warangal district of Telangana, during August 2023 to July 2025. A total of 5 Mandals (16 villages) were covered. The greatest number of tabanid flies was observed during the rainy season, followed by summer and winter, showing that these flies are most abundant in the rainy season compared with other seasons. The present study helps us identify the tabanid species and their associated pathogens, study report will serve as tool for further planning and integrated fly control measures for infectious diseases transmitted by tabanid flies for livestock in this region. Overall, the present study provides valuable baseline information on the diversity, seasonal abundance, and ecological distribution of Tabanid flies in the Warangal district of Telangana. The data generated may serve as a foundation for developing integrated vector management strategies and for further epidemiological studies on Tabanid-borne diseases in livestock.

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