Poeciloderas
Lutz, 1921
Species Guides
1Poeciloderas is a of horse flies in the Tabanidae, established by Lutz in 1921. The genus comprises approximately eight described distributed in the Neotropical region. Members are medium to large-sized tabanid flies. Like other horse flies, females are and possess scissor-like mouthparts for cutting skin to access blood meals.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Poeciloderas: /ˌpɔɪsɪloʊˈdɛrəs/
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Distribution
Neotropical region. have been recorded from South America including Argentina, Brazil, and surrounding areas.
Diet
Females are , feeding on vertebrate blood. Males do not blood-feed and are presumed to feed on nectar and other sugar sources, as is typical for male Tabanidae.
Human Relevance
Females bite humans and can be nuisance pests. Like other horse flies, their bites are painful and may transmit , though specific associations for Poeciloderas have not been documented.
More Details
Species count
Sources differ on count: Wikipedia states 'about eight described species' while the species list includes nine names. The discrepancy may reflect taxonomic revisions or synonymies not reflected in all sources.