Snipe flies resemble small, nondescript slender horse flies, and are pests in the mountains of British Columbia, Alberta, and southern Yukon. The eastern species are uncommon and rarely bite. In comparison to tabanids, snipe flies are unwary and easily swatted, but they may be abundant enough that swatting can become a full-time occupation. There are at least 10 species of snipe flies in Canada, but they are not well studied, and more species remain to be described.
Different species appear at different times throughout the summer.
Snipe flies are most abundant in the wet coastal region of British Columbia, ranging from sea level to the alpine zone. Larvae of only a few species have been found in tundra meadows on south-facing slopes, among stands of cow parsnip and hellebore. Mouthparts of the larvae resemble those of larvae of tabanids, suggesting that they might be predaceous, but no one has observed their feeding habits. All the species appear to have only one generation per year. Male aggregation sites have been found along paths on hills in Alberta, in sunlit clearings beside rivers in British Columbia, and on hilltops in the East.