Name

Tabanidae

horsefly

Framing

Phylum: Arthropoda

Subphylum: Crustacea

Class: Hexapoda

Subclass: Insecta

Order: Diptera

Family: Tabanidae

Habitat

Sunny and humid environments; grazing fields, forest edges, parks and gardens.

Feeding

Adults feed on nectar and plant exudates. Females bite animals to obtain enough protein from blood to produce eggs

Distribution

Cosmopolitan, except in places with extreme climate or persistent droughts.

Conservation status

Without risk.

Additional information

Cutting-sucking mouthparts, robust in females. Typical aquatic larvae (with a respiratory tubule) found in any accumulation of stagnant water, even with a lot of organic matter.