Tabanidae (Horse-flies)

**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. Horse-flies are sometimes also referred to as **gadflies**, though this term is ambiguous and often refers instead to botflies (Oestridae).

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. As well as making life outdoors uncomfortable for humans, 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. Shakespeare uses the theme of the maddening gadfly in his plays *King Lear* and *Antony and Cleopatra*.

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## Genus and Species

* Chrysops (**294 species**)
	+ Chrysops abaptistus
	+ Chrysops abatus
	+ Chrysops abavius
	+ Chrysops aberrans
	+ Chrysops additus
	+ Chrysops aeneus
	+ Chrysops aestuans
	+ Chrysops affinis
	+ Chrysops alajuelensis
	+ Chrysops albicinctus
	+ Chrysops alleni
	+ Chrysops alter
	+ Chrysops altivagus
	+ Chrysops amazon
	+ Chrysops angaricus
	+ Chrysops angolensis
	+ Chrysops anthrax
	+ Chrysops aprugnus
	+ Chrysops argentinus
	+ Chrysops armeniensis
	+ Chrysops asbestos
	+ Chrysops ater
	+ Chrysops atlanticus (Deer Fly)
	+ Chrysops atrinus
	+ Chrysops atrivittatus
	+ Chrysops auroguttatus
	+ Chrysops austeni
	+ Chrysops australis
	+ Chrysops balzaphire
	+ Chrysops basalis
	+ Chrysops beameri
	+ Chrysops berta
	+ Chrysops bicolor
	+ Chrysops bifasciatus
	+ Chrysops bifurcatus
	+ Chrysops bimaculosus
	+ Chrysops bishoppi
	+ Chrysops bistellatus
	+ Chrysops bivittatus
	+ Chrysops boliviensis
	+ Chrysops bonariensis
	+ Chrysops brevifascius
	+ Chrysops brimleyi
	+ Chrysops brucei
	+ Chrysops brunneus
	+ Chrysops bulbicornis
	+ Chrysops buxtoni
	+ Chrysops caecutiens (Splayed Deer Fly)
	+ Chrysops calidus
	+ Chrysops callidus
	+ Chrysops calogaster
	+ Chrysops calopterus
	+ Chrysops calvus
	+ Chrysops carbonarius
	+ Chrysops celatus
	+ Chrysops centurionis
	+ Chrysops cervulus
	+ Chrysops chaharicus
	+ Chrysops chiefengensis
	+ Chrysops chiriquensis
	+ Chrysops chusanensis
	+ Chrysops ciliaris
	+ Chrysops cincticornis
	+ Chrysops cincticornus
	+ Chrysops clavicornis
	+ Chrysops coloradensis
	+ Chrysops compactus
	+ Chrysops concavus
	+ Chrysops connexus
	+ Chrysops coquilletti
	+ Chrysops costaricensis
	+ Chrysops costatus
	+ Chrysops croceus
	+ Chrysops crucians
	+ Chrysops cuclux
	+ Chrysops currani
	+ Chrysops cursim
	+ Chrysops dacne
	+ Chrysops dampfi
	+ Chrysops dawsoni
	+ Chrysops decipiens
	+ Chrysops delicatulus
	+ Chrysops deqenensis
	+ Chrysops designatus
	+ Chrysops dimidiatus
	+ Chrysops dimmocki
	+ Chrysops discalis
	+ Chrysops dispar
	+ Chrysops dissectus
	+ Chrysops dissimilis
	+ Chrysops distinctipennis
	+ Chrysops divaricatus
	+ Chrysops divisus
	+ Chrysops dixianus
	+ Chrysops dorosovittatus
	+ Chrysops dorsopunctus
	+ Chrysops dorsovittatus
	+ Chrysops dubiens
	+ Chrysops ecuadorensis
	+ Chrysops excitans
	+ Chrysops facialis
	+ Chrysops fairchildi
	+ Chrysops fasciatus
	+ Chrysops fascipennis
	+ Chrysops fixissimus
	+ Chrysops flavescens
	+ Chrysops flavidus
	+ Chrysops flavipennis
	+ Chrysops flavipes
	+ Chrysops flaviscutellatus
	+ Chrysops flaviventris
	+ Chrysops flavocallus
	+ Chrysops flavocinctus
	+ Chrysops flavoscutellatus
	+ Chrysops flinti
	+ Chrysops formosus
	+ Chrysops frazari
	+ Chrysops frigidus
	+ Chrysops frontalis
	+ Chrysops fuliginosus
	+ Chrysops fulvaster
	+ Chrysops fulvistigma
	+ Chrysops funebris
	+ Chrysops furcatus
	+ Chrysops fusciapex
	+ Chrysops fuscipennis
	+ Chrysops fuscomarginalis
	+ Chrysops geminatus
	+ Chrysops godinhoi
	+ Chrysops gracilis
	+ Chrysops grandis
	+ Chrysops griseicollis
	+ Chrysops gutipennis
	+ Chrysops hamatus
	+ Chrysops harmani
	+ Chrysops hinei
	+ Chrysops hirsuticallus
	+ Chrysops hubbardi
	+ Chrysops hyalinus
	+ Chrysops hyalipennis
	+ Chrysops ifasi
	+ Chrysops impunctus
	+ Chrysops incisuralis
	+ Chrysops incisus
	+ Chrysops indianus
	+ Chrysops indus
	+ Chrysops infernalis
	+ Chrysops inflaticornis
	+ Chrysops insulensis
	+ Chrysops intrudens
	+ Chrysops italicus
	+ Chrysops japonicus
	+ Chrysops laetus
	+ Chrysops langi
	+ Chrysops laniger
	+ Chrysops lateralis
	+ Chrysops laticeps
	+ Chrysops latifasciatus
	+ Chrysops latifrons
	+ Chrysops latitibialis
	+ Chrysops leucopsilus
	+ Chrysops liaoningensis
	+ Chrysops longicornis
	+ Chrysops luteopennis
	+ Chrysops lutzi
	+ Chrysops macquarti
	+ Chrysops madagascarensis
	+ Chrysops magnificus
	+ Chrysops makerovi
	+ Chrysops matilei
	+ Chrysops mauritanicus
	+ Chrysops maximus
	+ Chrysops melaenus
	+ Chrysops melicharii
	+ Chrysops mexicanus
	+ Chrysops mitis
	+ Chrysops mlokosiewiczi
	+ Chrysops moechus
	+ Chrysops molestus
	+ Chrysops montanus
	+ Chrysops mutatus
	+ Chrysops neavei
	+ Chrysops neobrasiliensis
	+ Chrysops niger (Black Deer Fly)
	+ Chrysops nigribimbo
	+ Chrysops nigricorpus
	+ Chrysops nigripes
	+ Chrysops nigrobasalis
	+ Chrysops noctifer
	+ Chrysops obliquefasciatus
	+ Chrysops obsoletus
	+ Chrysops okavangoensis
	+ Chrysops olivaceus
	+ Chrysops omissus
	+ Chrysops oxianus
	+ Chrysops pachycerus
	+ Chrysops pachycnemius
	+ Chrysops pallidefemoratus
	+ Chrysops pallidiventris
	+ Chrysops pallidulus
	+ Chrysops papuensis
	+ Chrysops paradesignata
	+ Chrysops paraguayensis
	+ Chrysops parallelogrammus
	+ Chrysops parvifascius
	+ Chrysops parvulus
	+ Chrysops passosi
	+ Chrysops patricia
	+ Chrysops pauliani
	+ Chrysops pechumani
	+ Chrysops pellucidus
	+ Chrysops perpensus
	+ Chrysops peruvianus
	+ Chrysops petersi
	+ Chrysops pettigrewi
	+ Chrysops philipi
	+ Chrysops pikei
	+ Chrysops piresi
	+ Chrysops plateauna
	+ Chrysops potanini
	+ Chrysops proclivis
	+ Chrysops provocans
	+ Chrysops pseudofuscipennis
	+ Chrysops pudicus
	+ Chrysops pusillulus
	+ Chrysops reicherti
	+ Chrysops relictus (Twin-lobed Deerfly)
	+ Chrysops renjifoi
	+ Chrysops reticulatus
	+ Chrysops ricardoae
	+ Chrysops rossi
	+ Chrysops rufipes
	+ Chrysops sackeni
	+ Chrysops sandyi
	+ Chrysops scalaratus
	+ Chrysops sejunctus
	+ Chrysops semiignitus
	+ Chrysops separatus
	+ Chrysops sepulcralis
	+ Chrysops sequax
	+ Chrysops shermani
	+ Chrysops signifer
	+ Chrysops silaceus
	+ Chrysops silviaris
	+ Chrysops silvifacies
	+ Chrysops sinensis
	+ Chrysops sordidus
	+ Chrysops soror
	+ Chrysops srilankensis
	+ Chrysops stackelbergi
	+ Chrysops stackelbergiellus
	+ Chrysops stekhoveni
	+ Chrysops stimulans
	+ Chrysops stonei
	+ Chrysops streptobalius
	+ Chrysops striatulus
	+ Chrysops striatus
	+ Chrysops suavis
	+ Chrysops subcaecutiens
	+ Chrysops subchusanensis
	+ Chrysops surdus
	+ Chrysops szechuanensis
	+ Chrysops tarimi
	+ Chrysops thailandensis
	+ Chrysops tidwelli
	+ Chrysops translucens
	+ Chrysops trifarius
	+ Chrysops trisignatus
	+ Chrysops tristis
	+ Chrysops tumidicornis
	+ Chrysops turanicus
	+ Chrysops univittatus
	+ Chrysops unizona
	+ Chrysops upsilon
	+ Chrysops uruguayensis
	+ Chrysops validus
	+ Chrysops vargus
	+ Chrysops varians
	+ Chrysops variegatus
	+ Chrysops venus
	+ Chrysops viduatus
	+ Chrysops vietnamensis
	+ Chrysops violovitshi
	+ Chrysops virgulatus
	+ Chrysops vittatus
	+ Chrysops weberi
	+ Chrysops wileyae
	+ Chrysops willistoni
	+ Chrysops woodi
	+ Chrysops yamaguchii
	+ Chrysops yunnanensis
	+ Chrysops zahrai
	+ Chrysops zayasi
	+ Chrysops zinzalus