Tabanidae
Guides
Apatolestes
Apatolestes is a genus of horse flies in the family Tabanidae, subfamily Pangoniinae, established by Williston in 1885. The genus comprises approximately 14 recognized species distributed in North America, with some species exhibiting autogeny—the ability of females to produce an initial egg batch without a blood meal. At least one species, Apatolestes actites, has been documented as autogenous in coastal California habitats.
Apatolestes actites
Apatolestes actites is a species of horse fly in the family Tabanidae, described from coastal California in 1962. It is notable for being autogenous—females can produce eggs without requiring a blood meal, a relatively uncommon trait among tabanids. The species is restricted to coastal habitats in California and has been the subject of limited biological study.
Atylotus
horse flies
Atylotus is a genus of horse flies in the family Tabanidae, containing approximately 15 described species. Species occur in western North America, Egypt, and parts of Europe and North America including Connecticut and Scandinavia. The genus has been subject to recent taxonomic revision, with species-level identification keys developed for regional faunas.
Atylotus calcar
Atylotus calcar is a species of horse fly in the family Tabanidae, described by Teskey in 1983. As a member of the genus Atylotus, it belongs to a group of medium to large-sized biting flies commonly known as horse flies or deer flies. The species is part of the tribe Tabanini within the subfamily Tabaninae. Very few observations of this species have been recorded, with only six documented observations on iNaturalist.
Atylotus duplex
horse fly
Atylotus duplex is a species of horse fly in the family Tabanidae. It has been documented in seasonal flight activity studies in Connecticut, indicating adult activity patterns in that region. The species occurs in North America with records from Canada and the United States. Like other horse flies, adults are likely diurnal and females probably require blood meals for egg development, though specific biological details for this species remain limited in the available literature.
Atylotus hyalicosta
Atylotus hyalicosta is a species of horse fly (family Tabanidae) described by Teskey in 1984. It belongs to the genus Atylotus, a group of biting flies known for their robust build and large eyes. Like other members of Tabanidae, females of this species likely require blood meals for egg development, while males feed on nectar and other sugar sources. The species is poorly documented in public literature, with only one observation recorded on iNaturalist.
Chrysops aberrans
Wandering Deer Fly
Chrysops aberrans is a species of deer fly in the family Tabanidae. It is commonly known as the Wandering Deer Fly. The species was described by Philip in 1941. As a member of the genus Chrysops, it belongs to a group of biting flies known for their painful bites to mammals, including humans.
Chrysops asbestos
Shining Deer Fly
Chrysops asbestos, commonly known as the Shining Deer Fly, is a species of deer fly in the family Tabanidae. It was described by Philip in 1950. The species epithet 'asbestos' is noted as one of the humorous or 'silly' scientific names in entomology, referencing the fibrous mineral. As a member of the genus Chrysops, it shares the characteristic blood-feeding behavior of female deer flies, though specific ecological details for this species remain limited in available sources.
Chrysops ater
Dark Deer Fly
Chrysops ater is a species of deer fly in the family Tabanidae, commonly known as the Dark Deer Fly. It is distributed across northern North America including Canada and the United States. Like other deer flies, females are blood-feeders while males feed on nectar. The species is one of approximately 250 described species in the genus Chrysops.
Chrysops atlanticus
Atlantic Deer Fly
Chrysops atlanticus is a species of deer fly in the family Tabanidae. It is a biting fly known for its painful bites to humans and other mammals. The species has been successfully reared in laboratory conditions, with a complete life cycle of approximately 20-30 days at 25°C. Adults emerge in morning hours.
Chrysops beameri
deer fly
Chrysops beameri is a species of deer fly in the family Tabanidae, described by Brennan in 1935. The species belongs to the genus Chrysops, a diverse group of biting flies commonly known as deer flies or yellow flies. Like other members of this genus, it is presumed to be a blood-feeding fly with females requiring blood meals for egg development. Very little specific information has been published about this particular species.
Chrysops brimleyi
deer fly
Chrysops brimleyi is a species of deer fly in the family Tabanidae, described by Hine in 1904. As a member of the genus Chrysops, it shares the characteristic features of deer flies, including large eyes and biting mouthparts. The species is known from the United States. Very few observations of this species have been recorded, with only three documented on iNaturalist.
Chrysops brunneus
Brownish Deer Fly
Chrysops brunneus is a species of deer fly in the family Tabanidae, commonly known as the Brownish Deer Fly. It is found in the United States. The species was described by Hine in 1903. Deer flies in the genus Chrysops are known for their biting behavior and are considered pests of humans and livestock.
Chrysops callidus
Beautiful Deer Fly
Chrysops callidus is a species of deer fly in the family Tabanidae, first described by Osten Sacken in 1875. Commonly known as the Beautiful Deer Fly, this species is distributed across Canada and the United States. Females possess a specialized food canal with twelve pairs of putative sensory trichites that monitor blood flow during feeding. The species serves as an intermediate host for the haemosporidian parasite Haemoproteus metchnikovi, with documented sporogonic development occurring in the fly's midgut epithelium.
Chrysops calvus
Bald Deer Fly
Chrysops calvus is a species of deer fly in the family Tabanidae, commonly known as the Bald Deer Fly. It was described by Pechuman and Teskey in 1967. The species belongs to the genus Chrysops, a group of biting flies known for their painful bites and distinctive patterned eyes. Deer flies are recognized as significant biting pests of humans and livestock.
Chrysops celatus
deer fly
Chrysops celatus is a species of deer fly in the family Tabanidae, first described by Pechuman in 1949. It exhibits diel host-seeking activity patterns and has been recorded in northwest Florida and Vermont, USA. The species is currently considered a synonym of Chrysops atlanticus by some taxonomic authorities.
Chrysops cincticornis
Ring-clawed Deer Fly
Chrysops cincticornis is a deer fly in the family Tabanidae, first described by Walker in 1848. It is commonly known as the Ring-clawed Deer Fly. The species has been documented in Vermont and other parts of the United States, with 291 observations recorded on iNaturalist. Research on this species has focused on its oviposition behavior and fecundity, with laboratory studies showing females deposit eggs in gelatinous masses on mud substrates near water, averaging 156 eggs per female.
deer-flyTabanidaeDipteramedical-entomologyovipositionfecundityring-clawed-deer-flyVermontUnited-Statesmud-substrategelatinous-egg-massChrysopsinaeChrysopsiniWalker-1848iNaturalistlaboratory-rearingegg-mass156-eggsrange-42-312near-watermud-like-substrateegg-depositionreproductionbehavioral-studymedical-entomology-researchinsect-vectorsbiting-fliestabanid-flieshorse-fliesdeer-fliesChrysopsNorth-AmericaNew-Englandobservation-recordssynonym-status-in-Catalogue-of-Lifeaccepted-status-in-GBIFarthropodinsectflyBrachyceraTabanomorphaHexapodaPterygotaAnimaliaArthropodaInsectacincticornisChrysops-cincticornis-Walker-1848Chrysops-(Chrysops)-cincticornisdeerflyhorseflytabanidbiting-flyvectoroviposition-behaviorfecundity-studyJournal-of-Medical-Entomology198210.1093/jmedent/19.5.597gelatinous-secretionmudwaterlaboratory-conditionsmean-fecundityegg-productionreproductive-biologyentomologyinsect-behaviorinsect-reproductiondipterantrue-flytwo-winged-flynematoceranCyclorrhaphaAschizaSchizophoraAcalyptrataeCalyptrataeOestroideaMuscoideaHippoboscoideaGlossinidaeCalliphoridaeSarcophagidaeMuscidaeFanniidaeAnthomyiidaeScathophagidaeOestridaeTachinidaeSiphonapteraPhthirapteraHemipteraColeopteraLepidopteraHymenopteraNeuropteraMegalopteraRaphidiopteraTrichopteraStrepsipteraMecopteraDipluraProturaCollembolaZygentomaArchaeognathaEphemeropteraOdonataPlecopteraGrylloblattodeaMantophasmatodeaPhasmatodeaOrthopteraDermapteraEmbiopteraZorapteraIsopteraBlattodeaMantodeaPhyllodocidaNotopteraWalker1848speciestaxongelatinoushabitatdistributionGBIFCatalogue-of-LifeNCBIlaboratory-studybehaviorlife-cyclesubstratemud-likemeanrange42-312femaleobservationrecordspecimencollectionmuseumresearchstudyarticleabstractDOIbiologyecologyhorse-flyacceptedsynonymtaxonomyclassificationUS291-observationslaboratory291-iNaturalist-observationsGBIF-distribution-recordsaccepted-species-statussynonym-in-Catalogue-of-Life156-eggs-mean-fecundityrange-42-312-eggs1982-Journal-of-Medical-Entomology-publicationDOI-10.1093/jmedent/19.5.597entomology-researchdipteran-biologyChrysops clavicornis
deer fly
Chrysops clavicornis is a species of deer fly in the family Tabanidae, described by Brennan in 1935. It belongs to the genus Chrysops, a diverse group of biting flies commonly known as deer flies or yellow flies. The species is characterized by clubbed antennae, as indicated by its specific epithet 'clavicornis' (from Latin clavus = club, cornu = horn). Like other members of the genus, it is likely a blood-feeding fly with females requiring blood meals for egg development.
Chrysops cuclux
deer fly
Chrysops cuclux is a species of deer fly in the family Tabanidae, first described by Whitney in 1879. As a member of the genus Chrysops, it shares the characteristic blood-feeding behavior typical of female deer flies. The species is recorded from the United States, with distribution records from Vermont and other locations. Like other deer flies, it likely has aquatic or semi-aquatic larval stages and is active during warmer months.
Chrysops cursim
deer fly
Chrysops cursim is a species of deer fly in the family Tabanidae, described by Whitney in 1879. It belongs to the genus Chrysops, a diverse group of biting flies commonly known as deer flies or yellow flies. The species is recorded from the United States. Like other members of its genus, it is presumed to be a blood-feeding fly with females requiring vertebrate blood for egg development, though specific biological details for this species remain poorly documented.
Chrysops dacne
Chrysops dacne is a species of deer fly in the family Tabanidae, described by Philip in 1955. The species name is a playful reference, sounding like 'balls of fire' when pronounced. Like other members of the genus Chrysops, it is likely a biting fly with aquatic or semi-aquatic larval stages, though specific details about this particular species remain poorly documented in available literature.
Chrysops dimmocki
deer fly
Chrysops dimmocki is a species of deer fly in the family Tabanidae, first described by Hine in 1905. It belongs to the genus Chrysops, a diverse group of biting flies known for their distinctive patterned eyes and painful bites. The species is documented from the United States, with specific records from Vermont. Like other deer flies, females require blood meals for egg development, while males feed on nectar.
Chrysops discalis
deer fly
Chrysops discalis is a species of deer fly in the family Tabanidae. It is known as a biting fly and has been implicated as a vector of tularemia, commonly referred to as "deerfly fever." The species was described by Williston in 1880 and occurs in North America.
Chrysops dissimilis
Chrysops dissimilis is a species of deer fly in the family Tabanidae, described by Brennan in 1935. It belongs to the genus Chrysops, a diverse group of biting flies commonly known as deer flies or yellow flies. The species is recognized in major taxonomic databases including GBIF and Catalogue of Life, though detailed biological information remains limited. As with other Chrysops species, females are blood-feeders while males feed on nectar.
Chrysops divisus
deer fly
Chrysops divisus is a species of deer fly in the family Tabanidae. It was described by Walker in 1848. Like other members of the genus Chrysops, it is a blood-feeding fly that is known to bite humans and other mammals. The species has been recorded in the United States, though specific details about its biology and ecology remain limited in the available literature.
Chrysops dixianus
deer fly
Chrysops dixianus is a species of deer fly in the family Tabanidae, described by Pechuman in 1974. The species is known from the United States. Like other members of the genus Chrysops, it belongs to the deer fly group within horse flies, characterized by their biting habits and aquatic larval development. The specific epithet 'dixianus' suggests a possible association with the southern United States (Dixie region), though this has not been explicitly documented in available sources.
Chrysops dorsovittatus
deer fly
Chrysops dorsovittatus is a species of deer fly in the family Tabanidae, first described by Hine in 1907. It belongs to the genus Chrysops, a group of biting flies known for their painful bites and distinctive eye patterns. The species is recognized as valid by GBIF, though Catalogue of Life lists it as a synonym. Very little specific information is documented for this particular species.
Chrysops excitans
Bothersome Deer Fly
Chrysops excitans is a species of deer fly in the family Tabanidae, commonly known as the Bothersome Deer Fly. It is distributed across Canada and the United States, with records from Vermont and other regions. As a member of the genus Chrysops, it shares the characteristic blood-feeding behavior of female deer flies, though specific details for this species remain limited in available sources.
Chrysops facialis
Chrysops facialis is a species of deer fly in the family Tabanidae, described by Townsend in 1897. As a member of the genus Chrysops, it belongs to a group of biting flies known for their painful bites and distinctive wing patterns. The species is currently accepted in taxonomic databases, though specific biological details remain poorly documented in available literature.
Chrysops flavidus
deer fly
Chrysops flavidus is a species of deer fly in the family Tabanidae. It is identifiable by its yellow legs. The species occurs in the United States and has three recognized subspecies: C. f. celatus, C. f. flavidus, and C. f. reicherti.
Chrysops frigidus
Frigid Deer Fly
Chrysops frigidus is a species of deer fly in the family Tabanidae, commonly known as the Frigid Deer Fly. It occurs in northern North America, with records from Canada and the United States. Like other deer flies, females are blood-feeding while males feed on nectar. The species was described by Osten Sacken in 1875.
Chrysops fuliginosus
deer fly
Chrysops fuliginosus is a species of deer fly in the family Tabanidae, first described by Wiedemann in 1821. It belongs to the genus Chrysops, a diverse group of biting flies commonly known as deer flies or yellow flies. The species is distributed across Canada and the United States.
Chrysops geminatus
Gemeni Deer Fly, Geminatus Deer Fly
Chrysops geminatus is a species of deer fly in the family Tabanidae, first described by Wiedemann in 1828. It is distributed across Canada and the United States, with confirmed records from Vermont and other parts of the eastern and central U.S. Like other deer flies, adults are known for their blood-feeding behavior, with females requiring blood meals for egg development.
Chrysops hinei
deer fly
Chrysops hinei is a species of deer fly in the family Tabanidae, first described by Daecke in 1907. The species belongs to the genus Chrysops, a diverse group of biting flies commonly known as deer flies or yellow flies. As with other members of Tabanidae, females are blood-feeders while males feed on nectar and other sugary substances. The species is part of the subfamily Chrysopsinae, characterized by patterned wings and diurnal activity patterns.
Chrysops hirsuticallus
Chrysops hirsuticallus is a species of deer fly in the family Tabanidae, described by Philip in 1941. As a member of the genus Chrysops, it belongs to a group of biting flies known for their distinctive patterned eyes and blood-feeding behavior by females. The species has been subject to scientific study regarding its reproductive biology and blood meal sources.
Chrysops impunctus
Chrysops impunctus is a species of deer fly in the family Tabanidae, described by Krober in 1926. The genus Chrysops is well-documented as biting flies that feed on vertebrate blood, though specific details for this species remain limited. The species name "impunctus" (meaning "unspotted" or "without punctures") suggests a diagnostic lack of wing spots or thoracic markings typical of many congeners. Records indicate this is a rarely encountered species with sparse observational data.
Chrysops indus
deer fly
Chrysops indus is a species of deer fly in the family Tabanidae. It occurs in North America, with records from the United States and Canada. Like other members of the genus Chrysops, females are blood-feeders while males feed on nectar and pollen. The species was described by Osten Sacken in 1875.
Chrysops lateralis
deer fly
Chrysops lateralis is a species of deer fly in the family Tabanidae. It belongs to the genus Chrysops, a group of biting flies known for their painful bites to humans and other mammals. The species was described by Wiedemann in 1828. Deer flies in this genus are recognized as significant biting pests in North America.
Chrysops macquarti
Macquart's Deer Fly
Chrysops macquarti is a species of deer fly in the family Tabanidae. The species was described by Philip in 1961. Like other deer flies, it belongs to a group of biting flies known for their painful bites to mammals, including humans. The specific epithet honors the French entomologist Pierre-Justin-Marie Macquart.
Chrysops niger
Black Deer Fly
Chrysops niger, commonly known as the black deer fly, is a biting fly in the family Tabanidae. Adults are active from May to September and are associated with marshy habitats. The species is distinguished by its predominantly black body with white hairs and black-barred wings. Larvae develop in damp soil and feed on organic matter.
Chrysops nigripes
Chrysops nigripes is a species of deer fly in the family Tabanidae, first described by Zetterstedt in 1838. Larval development has been documented in subarctic peatland environments, where the species occupies aquatic to semi-aquatic microhabitats. Life cycle completion at subarctic latitudes may require 7–8 years, indicating exceptionally slow growth rates compared to temperate populations of related species.
Chrysops noctifer
nocturnal deer fly
Chrysops noctifer is a species of deer fly in the family Tabanidae, first described by Osten Sacken in 1877. Like other members of the genus Chrysops, it belongs to a group of biting flies known for their painful bites and distinctive patterned eyes. The species name 'noctifer' (meaning 'night-bearer') suggests possible crepuscular or nocturnal activity patterns, though specific behavioral documentation is limited. As with other deer flies, females are blood-feeders while males feed on nectar.
Chrysops obsoletus
Chrysops obsoletus is a species of deer fly in the family Tabanidae, described by Wiedemann in 1821. It belongs to the genus Chrysops, a group of biting flies known for their painful bites to humans and other mammals. The species is part of the subfamily Chrysopsinae and tribe Chrysopsini. Limited specific information is available for this particular species beyond its taxonomic classification.
Chrysops pikei
Chrysops pikei is a species of deer fly in the family Tabanidae. It belongs to the genus Chrysops, a group of biting flies known for their distinctive eye patterns and painful bites. The species was described by Whitney in 1904. Like other deer flies, it is likely a blood-feeding pest of mammals, though specific biological details for this species remain poorly documented.
Chrysops reicherti
deer fly
Chrysops reicherti is a species of deer fly in the family Tabanidae, first described by Fairchild in 1937. Like other members of the genus Chrysops, it is a blood-feeding fly known for its painful bites to mammals, including humans. The species occurs in the United States. Very little species-specific documentation exists in the available literature.
Chrysops sequax
deer fly
Chrysops sequax is a species of deer fly in the family Tabanidae. It is known from the United States. Like other members of the genus Chrysops, it is a blood-feeding fly with females requiring vertebrate blood for egg development. The species was described by Samuel Wendell Williston in 1887.
Chrysops surdus
deer fly
Chrysops surdus is a species of deer fly in the family Tabanidae, described by Osten Sacken in 1877. The species is distributed across northern North America, including Canada and the United States. Deer flies in the genus Chrysops are blood-feeding flies known for their painful bites and are recognized as significant biting pests in their range.
Chrysops univittatus
One-striped Deer Fly
Chrysops univittatus is a species of deer fly in the family Tabanidae, commonly known as the One-striped Deer Fly. Females are most abundant in late July and early August in southwestern Quebec. The species is anautogenous, requiring a blood meal for egg development, and exhibits a single gonotrophic cycle.
Chrysops upsilon
Chrysops upsilon is a species of deer fly in the family Tabanidae, described by Philip in 1950. Like other members of the genus Chrysops, it is a biting fly with females that require blood meals for egg development. The species is part of a diverse group of tabanids known for their painful bites and role as pests of humans and livestock. Specific ecological details for this species remain limited in available literature.
Chrysops virgulatus
deer fly
Chrysops virgulatus is a species of deer fly in the family Tabanidae, first described by Bellardi in 1859. The species is currently accepted as valid, though the Catalogue of Life lists it as a synonym, indicating taxonomic uncertainty or ongoing revision. Deer flies in the genus Chrysops are known for their biting behavior and are typically found in moist, vegetated habitats near water sources. As with other members of Tabanidae, females require blood meals for egg development.