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Deer Fly
(John Obermeyer, Purdue University)
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Common Name: Deer Fly

Order: Diptera

Family: Tabanidae


Pest Status: Deer flies are fast fliers and vicious biters of people and livestock. They can also transmit diseases.

Appearance: Deer flies are slightly larger than house flies and are mostly yellow or black with darker stripes on the abdomen and dark markings or patterns on the wings. They have bright green or gold eyes with zigzag stripes.

Life Cycle: Females lay their eggs in clusters on vegetation near standing water or wet sites. The larvae hatch from the eggs and fall to the ground to feed upon decaying organic matter. Larvae may persist up to three years, depending on the species.

Where to Collect: Deer flies most often occur in damp environments, such as wetlands or forests. They will usually find the collector - not the other way around.

Purdue Extension Entomology, 901 West State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA, (765) 494-4554

Department of Entomology | College of Agriculture | Extension

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