Term of Award

Summer 1989

Degree Name

Master of Science in Biology

Document Type and Release Option

Thesis (restricted to Georgia Southern)

Department

Department of Biology

Committee Chair

Daniel V. Hagan

Committee Member 1

Frank E. French

Committee Member 2

Donald J. Drapalik

Abstract

Seasonal abundance of adult Hippelates Loew (Dintera: Chloropidae) in Bulloch Count].', Georgia was examined during an 1 i-nonch period, July 1988 - May 1989 , using both emergence and attractant traps. Traps located both on and off Georgia Southern College campus, covered a 20 km2 area with a diversity of soil types and vegetation. Attractant traps were collected once a week from Julv '988 through May 1989, and emergence traps were collected every two weeks from July through November 1988.

A total of 18,021 adult chloropids, comprised of 16 species, was collected from attractant traps. Species present included, from most to least in abundance, Liohippelates pusio Loew (56%), L. bishoppi Sabrosky (29%), L. pallipes Loew (5%), Apallates coxendix Sabrosky (5%), A. neocoxendix Sabrosky (1%), A. particeps Becker (0.5%), and Hippelates saundersi Kumm (0.1%). Additional species included H. probiscideus Williston, Conioscinella flavescens Tucker, C. hinkleyi Malloch, C. triorbiculata Sabrosky, Olcella cinerea Loew, O. parva Adams, Monochaetoscinella nigricornis Loew, Ropalopterum criddlei Aldrich, and Oscinis dorsata Loew. Mean sex ratio from attractant trap collections was 9:1 females to males. Other Diptera families collected were Dolichopodidae, Ephydridae, and Sphaeroceridae . Hymenoptera families included Encyrtidae and Scelionidae.

A total of 85 adult chloropids, comprised of 5 species, was collected from emergence traps during July - November 1988. Species present were A. coxendix, A. particeps, L. pallipes, L. pusio, and O. cinera. Mean sex ratio from emergence trap collections was 2:1 females to males.

Collections were also made by sweeping and vacuum aspiration of flies attracted to man once a week at three hour intervals from June to August 1988, in Liberty Countv, Georgia. A total of 430 adult chloropids was collected, comprised of seven species, including A. coxendix, A. neocoxendix, A. particeps, L. bishoppi, L. pusio, M. nigricornis, and O. dorsata.

Seasonal incidence of the seven most abundant chloropids from attractant traps revealed peaks in abundance in July and September 1988, decreasing in November 1988 and reappearing in mid-March 1989. An unusual decrease in collections was observed in August 1988 concurrent with heavy rains during the collection periods, and subsequent peaks of abundance occurred during the September and October 1988 in response to rainfall 28 days prior to collection periods. L. bishoppi was similar in seasonal incidence with L. pusio, but less abundant. Apallates species, nonanthropophilic, was collected in small numbers.

Collections of Liohippelates species were significant for temperature and rainfall occurring 28 days prior to collection periods, but not for relative humidity, barometric pressure or moonphase. Collections of Apallates species were significant for temperature, relative humidity, and moonphase, but not for rainfall or barometric pressure. Collections of Hippelates species were significant for temperature and relative humidity.

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