Tabanus sudeticus

Tabanus sudeticus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Clade: Pancrustacea
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Family: Tabanidae
Subfamily: Tabaninae
Tribe: Tabanini
Genus: Tabanus
Species:
T. sudeticus
Binomial name
Tabanus sudeticus
Zeller, 1842[1]
Synonyms
  • Tabanus verralli Oldroyd, 1939[2]
  • Tabanus sudeticus f. confusus Goffe, 1931[3]
  • Tabanus sudeticus f. distinctus Goffe, 1931[3]
  • Tabanus sudeticus f. meridionalis Goffe, 1931[3]
  • Tabanus sudeticus var. perplexus Verrall, 1909[4]

Tabanus sudeticus, also known as the dark giant horsefly, is a species of biting horse-fly.[5][6] It is the heaviest fly in Europe.[7]

Description

The dark giant horsefly's length is around 20-25 millimeters.[8] They have uniform dark brown eyes.[8] Diagnostic characters include:-Upper facets of eyes distinctly larger than lower facets, and sharply delineated from them. Subcallus entirely dull and tomented, (it may have brown (areas); venter of abdomen with each segment black basally, and in a rounded median extension; black species, with yellow abdominal triangles, but little or no lateral reddish colour. Parafacials with abundant black hairs.[9]

Dark giant horseflies are a common species to be found buzzing around cows and horses.[8] They usually only suck blood from horses and cows, avoiding humans.[8] They fly with a very loud buzzing.[8][10]

Distribution

Female T. sudeticus

Tabanus sudeticus is found in many countries of Western Europe. It has a marked northern and western distribution; being found as far north as Southern Norway and the Western Isles of Scotland, and with an occasional record from Belarus.[11]

References

  1. ↑ Zeller, P.C. (1842). "Dipterologische Beytrage. Zweyte Abtheilung". Isis (Oken's). 1842: 807–847.
  2. ↑ Oldroyd, H. (1939). Tabanidae. In Edwards, F.W., Oldroyd, H. & Smart, J., British blood-sucking flies. Vol. 8. London. pp. 1–156.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  3. 1 2 3 Goffe, E.R. (1931). "British Tabanidae (Diptera). With an account of the principal variation. With descriptions of a number of new forms, and of some additions to the British List". Transactions of the Entomological Society of the South of England. 6(1930): 43–114.
  4. ↑ Verrall, G.H. (1909). Stratiomyidae and succeeding families of the Diptera Brachycera of Great Britain In his British flies. Vol. 5. London: Gurney & Jackson. pp. 780 pp. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  5. ↑ 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.
  6. ↑ Stubbs, A. & Drake, M. (2001). British Soldierflies and Their Allies: A Field Guide to the Larger British Brachycera. British Entomological & Natural History Society. pp. 512 pp. ISBN 1-899935-04-5.
  7. ↑ "Check out this massive fly". Naturenet. 7 June 2009. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 THES, MoveCMS by. "Dark giant horsefly | Animal | Life Habitats". www.lifehabitats.com. Retrieved 2022-09-17.
  9. ↑ Oldroyd, H., 1969 Diptera Brachycera: Tabanoidea and Asiloidea (Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects 9/4) Royal Entomological Society, London.
  10. ↑ Chvála, Milan; Lyneborg, Leif; Moucha, Josef (1972). The Horse Flies of Europe (Diptera, Tabanidae). Copenhagen: Entomological Society of Copenhagen. pp. 598pp, 164figs. ISBN 978-09-00-84857-5.
  11. ↑ "Dark Giant Horse Fly Tabanus sudeticus". iNaturalist. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
Female; Detail of head


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