Identification
SEE HERE for anatomy (frons, palps, etc.).
Large, 22-25 mm;
Head: frons very narrow, about 6 times as high as width at base, parallel sided or slightly widened above.
Antennae: dark reddish brown, basal portion of 3rd segment with prominent dorsal angle and deep incision.
Palps: very long,dark, straplike, apex truncate (see head image above).
Thorax: reddish brown, fine hairs giving it a lavender tone.
Wings: costal cell orange brown (leading edge of wing); brown spot at bifurcation of R4 and R5 (top spot on wing); cross vein at end of cell margined with brown (bottom spot on wing); cell R5 narrowed at apex (cell between the 2 spots).
Legs: dark except apical half of fore tibia - pale.
Abdomen: orange brown, sometimes with an indication of median black spots.
Range
Montana to Delaware, south to Texas and Florida.
Season
May through October in Florida; shorter season northwards.
Print References
Original description, p.85-86, in: Stone, A. 1938.The horseflies of the subfamily Tabaninae of the Nearctic Region. USDA Misc. Publ, No. 305. 171 pp.
Burger, J.F. 1995. Catalog of Tabanidae (Diptera) of North America north of Mexico. Contributions on Entomology, International. Volume 1, Number 1. 100pp. (Taxonomy and distribution of the species)
Jones, C.M. and D.W. Anthony. 1964. The Tabanidae (Diptera) of Florida. USDA, Agriculture Research Service, Technical Bulletin No. 1295. 85 pp.
Internet References
Photos of males and females from Geogia
HERE
