Zoogeography and Ecological Aspects of the Formation of Horse Fly Fauna (Diptera: Tabanidae) in Turkmenistan

Abstract

The horse fly fauna of Turkmenistan was studied, which includes 44 species and four subspecies belonging to nine genera and two subfamilies. Morphological and ecological analysis of the horse flies is given, and larval stage adaptations are described. Ninety percent of the Turkmenistan horse fly fauna is comprised of species of Southwest Asian or Turanian origin. Ten species are Turanian endemics, and two species are endemics of Turkmenistan. Centers of diversity and abundance of horse flies in Turkmenistan are concentrated in the southern deserts of the Irano-Turanian lowland. This area can be considered a faunogenetic center for the genus Nanorhynchus, subgenera Nemorius and Turanochrysops, and the species groups Tabanus sabuletorum and T. cordiger.