Marvelous Macros
Highlights of the greatest of small things.
Ferdy Christant created this list 14 years ago
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Fungus infected spider, Ranomafana, Madagascar -
Meadow Spittlebug - Philaenus spumarius -
Darkling Beetles - Tenebrionidae spp. -
Dindymus sp. -
Cross-striped Cabbageworm Moth Larva (Evergestis rimosalis) -
![horse fly - Tabanus americanus to search
"Horsefly" and "Cleg" redirect here. For other uses, see Horsefly (disambiguation) and Clegg (disambiguation).
Horse-fly
Tabanus sulcifrons[2]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Diptera
Superfamily:
Tabanoidea
Family:
Tabanidae
Latreille, 1802[1]
Subfamilies
Chrysopsinae
Pangoniinae
Tabaninae
Horse-flies or horseflies (for other names, see common names) are true flies in the family Tabanidae in the insect order Diptera. They are often large and agile in flight, and the females bite animals, including humans, to obtain blood. They prefer to fly in sunlight, avoiding dark and shady areas, and are inactive at night. They are found all over the world except for some islands and the polar regions (Hawaii, Greenland, Iceland). Both horse-flies and botflies (Oestridae) are sometimes referred to as gadflies.[3]
Adult horse-flies feed on nectar and plant exudates; the males have weak mouthparts and only the females bite animals to obtain enough protein from blood to produce eggs. The mouthparts of females are formed into a stout stabbing organ with two pairs of sharp cutting blades, and a spongelike part used to lap up the blood that flows from the wound. The larvae are predaceous and grow in semiaquatic habitats.
Female horse-flies can transfer blood-borne diseases from one animal to another through their feeding habit. In areas where diseases occur, they have been known to carry equine infectious anaemia virus, some trypanosomes, the filarial worm Loa loa, anthrax among cattle and sheep, and tularemia. They can reduce growth rates in cattle and lower the milk output of cows if suitable shelters are not provided.
Horse-flies have appeared in literature since Aeschylus in Ancient Greece mentioned them driving people to madness through their persistent pursuit. Geotagged,Malaysia,Summer](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.jungledragon.com/images/3800/84117_small.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=05GMT0V3GWVNE7GGM1R2&Expires=1759968010&Signature=L9Zfs%2B5VHS9lKK%2BWofK%2BxLqPWOU%3D)
horse fly - Tabanus americanus -
In my arms -
Anotia kirkaldyi -
Sawfly Larva - Macrophya simillima -
Papilio polyxenes - Black Swallowtail Caterpillar -
Hamataliwa with a kill -
Cicada Molting into an Adult - Neotibicen sp. -
Packardia geminata -
Larinioides sericatus -
Euroleon nostras - Head -
Cimbex americana -
Virgin Tiger Moth - Apantesis virgo -
Rosy Maple Moth - Dryocampa rubicunda -
Sesia apiformis - Female in copula -
Mangora acalypha -
golden flower long-horn beetle -
Female Paraphidippus aurantius -
On fire for Jumpers -
South American palm weevil