|
Family Tabanidae - Horse and Deer Flies
Classification Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Diptera (Flies)
No Taxon (Orthorrhapha)
Infraorder Tabanomorpha
Family Tabanidae (Horse and Deer Flies)
Other Common Names Bulldog Flies, Clegs, Yellow Flies of the Dismal Swamp, Greenheads, Gad Flies, Copper Heads Explanation of Names Tabanidae Latreille 1802 Numbers 350 spp. in 31 genera in our area (1)(2), 145 spp. in Canada and Alaska; almost 4,500 in ~160 genera worldwide (3)Identification Regional keys: n. NA (3), e. Canada (4)(5), CA (6), ID (7), ME (8), MI (9), OH (10), TX (11), VA (12), PNW (13)
Medium to large flies, females take blood; some are pests. The notched posterior margin of abdomnal tergite 1 is unique. Typical characteristics:
stoutly built flies with large squamae (scales above the halteres, also called calypters);
feet with 3 pads (as opposed to 2);
antennomere 3 elongated, made up of several fused parts, sometimes with a prominent tooth at base
veins R4 and R5 fork to form a large 'Y' across the wing tip.
antenna  
tarsus  Range Worldwide and throughout NA; analysis of distribution in NA in (3)Habitat larvae mostly in wet soil in marshes/bogs and at water margins; a few spp. in sand/gravel in fast-flowing streams; others also in drier soils (14)Season Year round in FL, summer further north Food adult females feed on vertebrate blood, usually of warm-blooded animals; males (also females in a few spp. in all 3 subfamilies) visit flowers
larvae mainly carnivorous, a few eat detritus
Life Cycle larval stage up to 2 or more years, esp. in the north (14)Remarks The bite is effected by stabbing with the mouthparts and slicing the skin with scissor-like movements of the finely serrate, knife-like mandibles and smaller maxillae. After capillaries are ruptured, anti-coagulant saliva is pumped out through the hypopharynx, and the blood is lapped up using the labella – mouthparts images (Thomas 2012).
Eyes may have striking color pattern; Knüttel & Lunau (1995, 1997) suggest these colours filter light to improve contrast detected by the eye pigments themselves, and play a role in sexual signalling Internet References Taxon profile (Squitier 2011) (17) Works Cited | 2. | Catalog of Tabanidae (Diptera) of North America north of Mexico
Burger J.F. 1995. International Contributions on Entomology 1(1): 100pp. | |
| 3. | The horse flies and deer flies of Canada and Alaska (Diptera: Tabanidae)
Teskey H.J. 1990. The insects and arachnids of Canada, Pt. 16. Ottawa: Agriculture Canada. 381 pp. | |
| 6. | Adult and immature Tabanidae (Diptera) of California
Middlekauff, W. W. and R. S. Lane. 1980. University of California Press. | |
| 7. | The horse flies and deer flies of Idaho
Nowierski, R. M. and A. R. Gittins. 1976. Research Bulletin, Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Idaho College of-Agriculture. 96, 1-48. | |
| 8. | The horse flies and deer flies of Maine (Diptera, Tabanidae)
Pechuman L.L., Dearborn R. 1996. Maine Agric. & Forest Exp. Sta. Technical bulletin 160, iv+24 pp. | |
| 9. | A synopsis of the Tabanidae (Diptera) of Michigan
Hays, K.L. 1956. 1956. University of Michigan, Museum of Zoology. | |
| 11. | The horse and deer flies (Diptera: Tabanidae) of Texas
Goodwin and Drees. 1996. 1996. Southwestern Entomological Society. | |
| 14. | Manual of Nearctic Diptera Volume 1
Varies for each chapter; edited by J.F. McAlpine, B.V. Petersen, G.E. Shewell, H.J. Teskey, J.R. Vockeroth, D.M. Wood. 1981. Research Branch Agriculture Canada. | |
| 16. | The Tabanidae (Diptera) of Louisiana
Tidwell M.A. 1973. Tulane Studies Zool. Bot. 18: 1-95. | |
Contributed by A.W. Thomas on 16 February, 2004 - 12:32pm Additional contributions by cotinis, Beatriz Moisset, Robin McLeod, Keith Bayless, Mike Quinn, Aaron Schusteff, Vox Sciurorum, v belov, Arturo Santos, Nathaniel GreenLast updated 12 August, 2023 - 6:41am |
|
|
|
