Tabanidae

Horse flies and deer flies are true flies in the family Tabanidae in the insect order Diptera. The adults are often large and agile in flight. Females parasitize land vertebrates, including humans, biting them 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 (Hawaii, Greenland, Iceland). Both horse flies and botflies (Oestridae) are sometimes referred to as gadflies. Contrary to popular belief, horse flies can not see infrared light or otherwise detect heat

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Deer flies (also known in some parts of the mid-Atlantic United States as sheep flies) are bloodsucking insects considered pests to humans and cattle. They are large flies with large brightly coloured compound eyes, and large clear wings with dark bands. They are larger than the common housefly and smaller than the horse fly. There are 250 species of deer fly in the genus Chrysops. Their distribution is worldwide, though they have not been reported in Iceland, Greenland, or Hawaii.

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Haematopota is a genus of flies in the horse-fly family, Tabanidae. Among the horse-flies, they are most commonly known as clegs. Many species have colorful, sinuously patterned eyes in life, a character that fades after death. The wings are typically patterned with spots of grey. The genus is named from the Ancient Greek for blood-drinker: αἷμα, haîma, blood; πότης, pótës, drinker. Some species are known to be vectors of livestock diseases.

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Scaptia is a genus of horse-fly in the tribe Scionini.

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Hybomitra is a genus of horse flies in the family Tabanidae. There are at least 240 described species in Hybomitra.

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Atylotus is a genus of horse flies in the family Tabanidae, with records from Europe, Africa, mainland Asia and North America.

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Pangonius is a genus within the horse-fly family (Tabanidae), often misspelled as Pangonia; Latreille originally published the name as Pangonius in 1802, emending it in 1804 to Pangonia, but the emendation is not valid under the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. Some species that were earlier placed in this genus are now in the genus Philoliche.

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Apatolestes is a genus of horse flies (family Tabanidae).

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Stonemyia is a genus of flies in the family Tabanidae.

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Merycomyia is a genus of North American deer flies in the family Tabanidae.

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