Hybomitra montana

Hybomitra montana
Hybomitra montana. Ventral view
Dorsal view
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Family: Tabanidae
Subfamily: Tabaninae
Tribe: Tabanini
Genus: Hybomitra
Species: H. montana
Binomial name
Hybomitra montana
(Meigen, 1820)
Synonyms
  • Tabanus montana Meigen, 1820
  • Tabanus borealis

Hybomitra montana, the Slender-horned Horsefly, is a species of horse fly in the family Tabanidae.

Description

Hybomitra montana can reach a length of 12.5–16 millimetres (0.49–0.63 in). The body is black, the hairy abdomen is yellow with black stripes and the wings are brownish but transparent. The compound eyes are well developed in both sexes. They have bright blue-green eyes, with transversal red bands.

Adult horse flies can be found in July and August. Males of this species feed on plant juices, while female are bloodsuckers. The females have a high fecundity. They can lay about 500 eggs at an oviposition. The larvae pass through 10–13 instars and the full life-cycle lasts 3–5 years. This horsefly may cause appreciable damages on stock farms.

Distribution

This species can be found in most of Europe and in the East palearctic ecozone.

Habitat

These horseflies live in various open landscapes, from mountanins to peatlands and salt marshes.

References

External links


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