Tabanidae Identification Resources (Southern Africa) - LINKS
The Manual of Afrotropical Diptera provides an up-to-date, well-illustrated, interpretable means for identifying families and genera of two-winged flies of the continental Afrotropical Region. The Tabanidae chapter is found in vol. 2. There are several photos and illustrations and a key to genera.
https://www.nhm.ac.uk/content/dam/nhmwww/our-science/our-work/biodiversity/manual-afrotropical-diptera/manual-afrotropical-diptera-volume-two
Snyman et al: Overview of the horseflies (Diptera: Tabanidae) of South Africa: assessment of major collections for spatiotemporal analysis. May 2020; Austral Entomology 59(3)
https://repository.up.ac.za/bitstream/handle/2263/77247/Snyman_Overview_2020.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
The supporting information contains a checklist for all Tabanidae species recorded in South Africa:
https://repository.up.ac.za/bitstream/handle/2263/77247/Snyman_OverviewSuppl_2020.pdf?sequence=2
Mugasa CM, Villinger J, Gitau J, Ndungu N, Ciosi M, Masiga D (2018) Morphological re-description and molecular identification of Tabanidae (Diptera) in East Africa. ZooKeys 769: 117-144.
https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/21144/
There are photos of several Tabanids that are also common in Southern Africa
Usher PJ (1972) A review of the South African horsefly fauna (Diptera: Tabanidae). Annals of the Natal Museum 21
https://journals.co.za/doi/pdf/10.10520/AJA03040798_662
This paper reviews the Tabanidae known to occur in South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, Botswana and Namibia; the species are listed, the localities in which they have been found are grouped according to a system of climatic regions, and the distribution data are summarized in table form. It is a commented check list.
Chainey, J.E. 1983. Afrotropical Tabanidae (Diptera): The genus Philoliche Wiedemann, subgenus Ommatiosteres Enderlein. Annals of the Natal Museum 25 (2)
https://journals.co.za/doi/pdf/10.10520/AJA03040798_497
This paper provides an identification key to the subgenus Ommatiosteres.
TAIOE, M. O., MOTLOANG, M. Y., NAMANGALA, B., CHOTA, A., MOLEFE, N. I., MUSINGUZI, S. P., … THEKISOE, O. M. M. (2017). Characterization of tabanid flies (Diptera: Tabanidae) in South Africa and Zambia and detection of protozoan parasites they are harbouring. Parasitology, 144(09)
https://sci-hub.st/10.1017/S0031182017000440
There are illustrations of tabanid flies from KZN, South Africa:
Ancala africana, Atylotus agrestis, Atylotus fuscipes, Atylotus nigromaculatus, Philoliche aethiopica, Tabanus gratus, Tabanus taeniatus, Tabanus laverani, Tabanus par, Tabanus taeniola
Mugasa CM, Villinger J, Gitau J, Ndungu N, Ciosi M, Masiga D (2018) Morphological re-description and molecular identification of Tabanidae (Diptera) in East Africa. ZooKeys 769: 117-144. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.769.21144
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325995555_Morphological_re-description_and_molecular_identification_of_Tabanidae_Diptera_in_East_Africa
Identification, documentation and description of Tabanidae in East Africa - there are good illustrations of some widespread Afrotropical tabanids.
Williams KA, Snyman LP (2021) Tabanidae (Diptera) holotypes in the KwaZulu-Natal Museum collection: Part 1. Haematopota. African Invertebrates 62(2): 485-495. https://doi.org/10.3897/afrinvertebr.62.76103
https://africaninvertebrates.pensoft.net/article/76103/
Illustrations of several Haematopota species
Williams, Kirstin A.; Smit, Andeliza; Neves, Luís; Snyman, Louwtjie P. (2021). Evaluating the morphological and molecular challenges in identifying the afrotropical Atylotus species (Diptera: Tabanidae). Acta Tropica 226(5)
https://repository.up.ac.za/bitstream/handle/2263/83323/Williams_Evaluating_2022.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
Usher, J.P. (1965). Records and descriptions of Tabanidae from Southern Africa (Diptera). Annals of the Natal Museum 18.
https://journals.co.za/doi/pdf/10.10520/AJA03040798_756
Chainey, J.E. 1987. Afrotropical Tabanidae (Diptera): the genus Rhigioglossa Wiedemann, 1828 (including Mesomyia Macquart, 1850, as a subgenus). Annals of the Natal Museum 28.
https://journals.co.za/doi/pdf/10.10520/AJA03040798_420
Smit, A. 2019. Abundance, composition and barcoding of Tabanidae in Kruger National Park and screening for Besnoitia besnoiti
https://repository.up.ac.za/bitstream/handle/2263/76793/Smit_Abundance_2019.pdf?sequence=1
There are species pages (with photos, diagnosis and distribution maps) for tabanids collected at Skukuza, Lower Sabie and Orpen in KNP
Morita, Shelah 2008. A Revision of the Philoliche aethiopica Species Complex (Diptera: Tabanidae), African Invertebrates, 49(1)
https://bioone.org/journalArticle/Download?urlId=10.5733%2Fafin.049.0105
Neave, S. (1912). Notes on the blood-sucking insects of Eastern Tropical Africa. Bulletin of Entomological Research, 3(3), 275-323. doi:10.1017/S0007485300001942
https://zenodo.org/record/2371129/files/article.pdf
There are colour plates with high quality illustrations containing also some tabanids distributed in Southern Africa: Euancala maculatissima, Tabanus leucostomus, Tabanus variabilis, Tabanus gratus, Chrysops distinctipennis
Surcouf JMR, Ricardo G. (1909): Etude monographique des Tabanides d'Afrique (groupe des ''Tabanus''). Paris: Masson et Cie.
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/175737#page/9/mode/1up
Key, species descriptions, many text figures
There are numerous colour plates with Tabanidae photos
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/175737#page/273/mode/1up