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Horse flies and deer flies [a] are true flies in the family Tabanidae in the insect order Diptera. The adults are often large and agile in flight. Only female horseflies bite land vertebrates, including humans, to obtain blood. They prefer to fly in sunlight, avoiding dark and shady areas, and are inactive at night.
Gasterophilus intestinalis, also known as horse bot fly, is a species of insect of the family Oestridae, [2] and is found worldwide. [3] The adults, which have a bumblebee-like appearance, are prominently active in the summer. [4] G. intestinalis is primarily a parasite of horses, mules and donkeys, [5] rarely of other animals. [6]
Adult horse flies can be found in July and August. Males of this species feed on plant juices, while female are bloodsuckers. The females have a high fecundity. They can lay about 500 eggs at an oviposition. The larvae pass through 10–13 instars and the full life-cycle lasts 3–5 years. This horsefly may cause appreciable damages on stock farms.
These horse flies can be encountered during the daylight hours from late May through late October. [5] The males are harmless and feed on nectar, [7] while the females feed on mammal blood (hematophagy) (hence the Latin name Haematopota pluvialis, literally meaning 'blooddrinker of the rains'), mainly cattle and horses, needing blood for developing eggs.
Gasterophilus, commonly known as botfly, is a genus of parasitic fly from the family Oestridae that affects different types of animals, especially horses, but it can also act on cows, sheep, and goats. A case has also been recorded in a human baby.
Tabanus nigrovittatus, also known as the greenhead horse fly, salt marsh greenhead, or simply the greenhead fly, greenhead or greenfly, [7] [8] is a species of horse-fly commonly found around the coastal marshes and wetlands of the Eastern United States. They are smaller than most horsefly species, instead being close in size to a common housefly.
Haematopota is a genus of flies in the horse-fly family, Tabanidae. [4] Among the horse-flies, they are most commonly known as clegs. Many species have colorful, sinuously patterned eyes in life, a character that fades after death. The wings are typically patterned with spots of grey. [5]
These common horse flies can be encountered in Summer in high mountain at an altitude of over 2000 meters during the daylight hours, when they mainly feed on nectar of flowers (especially of Apiaceae species). Females attack mainly horses and cattle.