Published online by Cambridge University Press: 19 September 2011
Glossina tachinoides and G. morsitans submorsitans in Niger and G. morsitans morsitans in Mozambique conform to the general pattern of Glossina resting behaviour in that they rest on the woody parts of the vegetation during the day and on the foliage at night. G. m. submorsitans and G. m. morsitans both prefer low horizontal branches as their main day-resting sites, while G. tachinoides rests mainly on the bases of trunks. G. m. morsitans was found to exhibit a 3-phase pattern of resting behaviour: on foliage at night; low down on trunks for a short period after dawn; and on branches higher up for the remainder of the day. No relationship between temperature or relative humidity on the choice and vertical distribution of night resting sites could be found. For G. tachinoides, the microclimatic conditions of its resting sites were more favourable than ambient conditions during the middle of the day.