Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada

Genus Chrysops

Deer Fly - Chrysops calvus - female Deer Fly - Chrysops BG1492 C9143 - Chrysops dixianus - female unknown - Chrysops Which Deer Fly 3 - Chrysops Annoyance fly - Chrysops reicherti Deer Fly - Chrysops cincticornis Deer Fly - Chrysops mitis
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Diptera (Flies)
No Taxon ("Orthorrhapha" (Brachycera excluding Aschiza and Schizophora))
Infraorder Tabanomorpha
Family Tabanidae (Horse and Deer Flies)
Subfamily Chrysopsinae (Deer Flies)
Genus Chrysops
Explanation of Names
Greek chrysos (χρυσος)- "gold" + ops (οψ)- "eyes, face".
Identification
4 views should make it possible to identify every Deer Fly found in North America. The following images by the Strickland's are superb and I encourage everyone to try and obtain similar views for any Deer Fly she/he photographs:
1 - view showing dorsal head, thorax, abdomen; also wing pattern
2 - lateral view showing, antennae, thorax, leg colour
3.1 - face view showing frontal callus (black oval between eyes), frontoclypeus (yellow shiny triangle below eyes), palps (below frontoclypeus); also legs
3.2 - frontal/lateral view of face. Only 1 view of face, either this view or that shown in 3 is required
4 - clear view of wing, also shows clear view of abdomen
Print References
For Canada east of the Rockies