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Sticker of American horse fly
Bug card No. 0082 of 4,939

American horse fly

Tabanus americanus
Eats: BloodFlies and mosquitoesGardens and meadows6 legs

The American horse fly is a big, strong fly. It likes to stay near fields where cows and other farm animals graze. The female needs a meal of blood, so she looks for big animals.

Lives in
The United States and Canada, near pastures and ponds
Top speed
about 25 km/h (16 mph)
Flying, estimate
Can it hurt you?
Can bite
The female can give a painful bite. It is not dangerous for most people, but it hurts, so wave it away and wear long sleeves near cow fields.
What does it eat?
The females drink blood from cattle and other animals. The males visit flowers for nectar.
For real!Photo of American horse fly
Picture by Judy Gallagher. CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

How fast is it?

cool stuff

Fun facts

1

It lays its eggs near ponds and other water.

2

It hangs around open pastures where cows and farm animals are.

3

Only the female horse fly bites. The male does not drink blood.

you asked

Most asked questions about American horse fly

?Does the American horse fly bite?

Yes, the female can give a painful bite, because she drinks blood.

?Where does the American horse fly live?

In the United States and Canada, near pastures with farm animals and near water.

For bug experts

Scientific name
Tabanus americanus
Group
Flies and mosquitoes
Family
Tabanidae
Classification
Insecta > Diptera > Tabanidae
Lives on
North America

Where the facts come from

  1. Tabanus americanus (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
  2. Picture by Judy Gallagher. CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons. The sticker of this bug is drawn from this picture.

If we got something wrong, sorry, we are bug fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.

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