286 REGIONAL DISTRIBUTIONS OF TABANUS FLIES IN INDIA [Vol. XXII, Part IV
In this paper efforts have been made to rearrange the incidence of surra on
regional basis as has been done in case of tabanid flies. It is seen that in Region 1
the incidence is varied. In Kashmir the incidence is reported to be moderately low,
it is very high in portions of East Punjab and Himachal Pradesh and moderately
high in certain portions of Uttar Pradesh and low in portions of Bihar, Bengal and
Assam. No record of surra was available from Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan. In
Region 2 the range of variation of incidence varies from moderately heavy to very
low. No record was available from Vindhya Pradesh. In Region 3 heaviest in-
cidence was recorded in the portion of Punjab and moderately heavy infestation in
Sind and part of Uttar Pradesh. The comparatively less infested areas of Kashmir,
North West Frontier Province and Madhya Pradesh are also included in this region.
No information was available from Greater Rajasthan, a camel raising area, and
Baluchistan. In Region 4 the incidence of surra in Bombay and Madras has been
reported to be moderately high and Mysore has been reported to be free from it.
No report of surra was available from Saurashtra, Kutch, and Madhya Bharat.
Incidence of surra in Region 5 has been recorded very low.
However, with a view to establish more clearly the direct relationship between
the disease and the transmitting vector, more detailed information will have to be
collected to rearrange the distribution map of surra on regional basis.
SUMMARY
To provide a ready, uptodate reference to the distribution of Tabanus flics in
India, their incidence has been plotted in a map of India. For this purpose, the
country has been divided into the following five regions as recommended by the
Indian Council of Agricultural Research in connection with the orientation of different
agricultural research organisations in India depending mostly on rainfall, soil, type
of crop, etc.
Temperate Himalayan Region.—Nineteen species of Tabanus are recorded from
this region, of which seven are specific to this region.
Eastern Wet Region.—Thirty-two species are recorded from this region of which
nine are specific to this region.
North Western Dry Region.—Seventeen species are recorded from this region, of
which two are specific to this region.
Southern Region.—Twenty species are recorded from this region, of which three
are specific to this region.
South Coastal Wet Region.—This region is represented by ten species of which
two are specific to this region.
The incidence of Tabanus flies in India has also been arranged according to its
natural physical features, dividing the country into four regions, namely, Montane,
Submontane, Pastural and Coastal. It is noted that as many as thirty species are
recorded from, the Montane region of which ten are specific. Submontane region has
thirty-two species of which three are specific. Pastural region is represented by
twenty-three species out of which seven are specific. Lastly, the coastal region is
represented by fifteen species of which three are specific. Tabanus rubidus Wiede-
mann is found to be cosmopolitan in all the regions.