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.
Tabanus glaucopis, also known as the downland horsefly, is a species of biting horse-fly.
Tabanus maculicornis also known as the narrow-winged horsefly is a species of biting horse-fly.
Tabanus sudeticus, also known as the dark giant horsefly, is a species of biting horse-fly. It is the heaviest fly in Europe.
Tabanus lineola, also known as the striped horse fly, is a species of biting horse-fly. It is known from the eastern coast of North America and the Gulf coast of Mexico.
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.
Philipomyia aprica is a species of horse fly of the family Tabanidae, subfamily Tabaninae.
Cornelius Becker Philip (1900–1987) was an American entomologist, noted for assigning comedic names to species he described.
Tabanus quatuornotatus is a species of biting horse-fly.
Tabanini is a tribe of horse and deer flies in the family Tabanidae. There are at least 220 described species in Tabanini.
Tabanus proximus is a species of horse flies in the family Tabanidae.
Tabanus sparus is a species of horse fly in the family Tabanidae.
Tabanus molestus is a species of horse fly in the family Tabanidae.
Tabanus calens is a species of horse fly in the family Tabanidae.
Tabanus marginalis is a species of horse fly in the family Tabanidae.
Tabanus sagax is a species of horse fly in the family Tabanidae.
Tabanus subsimilis is a species of horse fly in the family Tabanidae.
Tabanus pallidescens is a species of horse fly in the family Tabanidae.
Tabanus punctifer, commonly known as the western horse fly, is a species of horse fly in the family Tabanidae. This species of horse fly is approximately 20.5 mm (0.8 in) long. They are typically found throughout the southern and western parts of the United States. They can be found between Utah and Mexico, and between California and Texas. The thorax is covered with long hairs that give it a creamy white color, while the abdomen is completely black. Much like other horse fly species, the Tabanus punctifer female requires a blood meal for the development of their eggs. Females will bite horses, livestock, and humans, making them vectors of disease for pathogens and parasites.
