Haematopota pluvialis Insect Horse-Fly True Horse Fly Gadfly Breeze-Fly Hematophagus Diptera Brachycera Tabanidae

Haematopota pluvialis mm 5-11 wingspan mm 8-10 Insect Horse-Fly True Horse Fly Gadfly Breeze-Fly Hematophagus Diptera Brachycera Tabanidae.
Family: Tabanidae.
Common name: Common Horse Fly, Notch-Horned Cleg Fly or Cleg.
Syn. Chrysozona minima, Haematopota ioffi, Haematopota marginula, Haematopota ocellata, Haematopota pleuralis, Haematopota sakhalinensis, Haematopota tristis, Tabanus arcticus, Tabanus equorum, Tabanus hyetomantis.

This species is present in much of Europe, in the Near East and in the eastern Palearctic Region. It is found mainly on heathlands and on the edges of spruce forests.
This species has large compound eyes necessary for locating its prey. They are furry and brightly colored.
The thorax is grey, with black longitudinal stripes. The abdomen has a dark background with a series of lateral light spots and bands. The wings also have a characteristic design, being darkly speckled with numerous light spots.
The males of these are harmless and feed on nectar, while the females feed on mammal blood (hematophagy), mainly cattle and horses, as they need blood to develop their eggs. When they bite, they inject fluids that inhibit the coagulation of blood, which comes out in such a way as to allow the horsefly to lap. They are also capable of painfully biting humans. Females lay their eggs at the base of grass stems or on the surface of moist soil.