Diachlorus ferrugatus

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Diachlorus ferrugatus
Diachlorusferrugatuscostarica.png
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Family: Tabanidae
Subfamily: Tabaninae
Tribe: Diachlorini
Genus: Diachlorus
Species:
D. ferrugatus
Binomial name
Diachlorus ferrugatus
(Fabricius, 1805) [1]
Synonyms

Diachlorus ferrugatus, commonly known as the yellow fly in the United States or doctor fly in Belize, is a species of highly aggressive biting horse-fly of the family Tabanidae native to North and Central America to Costa Rica. [2] [3]

Contents

Taxonomy

The yellow fly was described as Chrysops ferrugatus by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1805.

Description

Adult yellow flies are around 1 centimetre (0.39 in) long with yellow bodies, mid-legs, and hind-legs, and black fore-legs. The eyes are blue-green with purple bands. They fly with little sound, and the first sign of their presence noticed by humans is usually their bite. [4]

The larvae are thin white grubs with fine yellow fur, each segment having three pairs of pseudopodia. [4]

Distribution and habitat

The yellow fly ranges from the southeastern United States, where it is found from New Jersey to Texas, [4] to Costa Rica. [5] It is most common near bodies of water, along with trees nearby to hide in. [4] Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides) is a popular hiding spot. [6]

Effect on humans

It is notorious for its propensity to inflict painful bites on people, [4] having been described as the most aggressive fly species in Florida. [6] The female feeds on blood to develop eggs, and is most active in the summer and early autumn during daylight hours, especially in the late afternoon and on overcast days. Flies can even venture indoors. [4] Its presence affects recreational swimming, boating and fishing from April to June. [6] Yellow fly bites leave itchy welts. [4]

DEET is the most useful insect repellent, though may not prevent bites if the yellow flies are in large numbers. In this case, physical barriers such as gloves and headnets are the only truly effective protection. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tabanidae</span> Family of insects

Horse-flies and deer flies are true flies in the family Tabanidae in the insect order Diptera. The adults are often large and agile in flight. Only female horseflies bite land vertebrates 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. Both horse-flies and botflies (Oestridae) are sometimes referred to as gadflies.

<i>Chrysops</i> Genus of insects

Deer flies are bloodsucking insects considered pests to humans and cattle. They are large flies with large brightly-coloured compound eyes, and large clear wings with dark bands. They are larger than the common housefly and smaller than the horse-fly. There are 250 species of deer fly in the genus Chrysops. Their distribution is worldwide, though they have not been reported in Iceland, Greenland, and Hawaii.

<i>Tabanus lineola</i> Species of fly

Tabanus lineola, also known as the striped horse fly, is a species of biting horse-fly. It is known from the eastern and southern United States and the Gulf coast of Mexico.

<i>Haematopota pluvialis</i> Species of fly

Haematopota pluvialis, the common horse fly or notch-horned cleg fly, or simply cleg in Scotland and northern parts of Ireland, is a species belonging to the family Tabanidae subfamily Tabaninae.

<i>Chrysops caecutiens</i> Species of deer fly

Chrysops caecutiens, common name splayed deer fly, is a species of horse fly belonging to the family Tabanidae. It is also known by the colloquial name Scotch Cleg.

<i>Diachlorus</i> Genus of flies

Diachlorus is a genus of biting horseflies of the family Tabanidae. D. ferrugatus ranges from the southeastern United States to Costa Rica. There are 27 species with a neotropical distribution, with the greatest diversity in Brazil, while 3 are found in Central America.

<i>Dichelacera</i> Genus of flies

Dichelacera is a genus of horse flies in the family Tabanidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deer fly</span> Subfamily of flies

Chrysopsinae is an insect subfamily in the family Tabanidae commonly known as deer flies or sheep flies and are bloodsucking insects considered pests to humans and cattle. They are large flies with large brightly-coloured compound eyes, and large clear wings with dark bands. They are larger than the common housefly and smaller than the horse-fly.

<i>Chlorotabanus crepuscularis</i> Species of fly

Chlorotabanus crepuscularis is a species of horse flies in the family Tabanidae. This species is the only green tabanid in North America. It can be found from Texas to Delaware. In Florida, this sanguinivorous (blood-feeding) fly is seen as an adult from March through September, but is most active from May to mid-July.

Tabanus marginalis is a species of horse fly in the family Tabanidae.

Tabanus abdominalis is a species of horse fly in the family Tabanidae.

<i>Tabanus sulcifrons</i> Species of fly

Tabanus sulcifrons is a species of horse fly in the family Tabanidae.

Acanthocera is a genus of flies belonging to the family Tabanidae.

Fidena is a genus of horse-fly in the tribe Scionini.

Pangonius mauritanus is a species of horse fly in the family Tabanidae.

<i>Silvius alpinus</i> Species of fly

Silvius abdominalis is a species of horse fly in the family Tabanidae.

Lepiselaga is a genus of horse flies in the family Tabanidae.

Lepiselaga crassipes is a species of horse flies in the family Tabanidae.

Selasoma is a genus of horse flies in the family Tabanidae.

References

  1. 1 2 Fabricius, Johann Christian (1805). Systema antliatorum secundum ordines, genera, species. Bransvigae: Apud Carolum Reichard. pp. i–xiv, 1–373. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  2. ↑ Moucha, J. (1976). "Horse-flies (Diptera: Tabanidae) of the World. Synoptic Catalogue" (PDF). Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae Supplements. 7: 1–320. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  3. ↑ Burger, J. F. (1995). "Catalog of Tabanidae (Diptera) in North America north of Mexico". International Contributions on Entomology. Associated Publishers. 1 (1): 1–100.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 G.B. Fairchild; H.V. Weems, Jr. (2014). "Diachlorus ferrugatus (Fabricius) (Insecta: Diptera: Tabanidae)". Featured Creatures: Entomology and Nematology. University of Florida. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  5. ↑ Brown, Brian Victor (2009). Manual of Central American Diptera. Vol. 1. NRC Research Press. p. 505. ISBN   9780660198330.
  6. 1 2 3 Calvin M. Jones; Darrell W. Anthony (1964). The Tabanidae (Diptera) of Florida. U.S. Department of Agriculture. pp. 28–29.
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