HARAR HEALTH SCIENCE COLLAGE
DEPARTMENT OF MEDICAL
LABORATORY
Group Assignment for 2nd Year, Vector Biology
Submitted to: Mr. Jemal

TABANIDS (LARGE BITING
FLIES)
 The various genera and species of tabandis
occur around the world. Their family is
tabandiae comprises approximately 3000
species of flies worldwide, including the
commonly known horseflies and deerflies.

Conti...
 They are often large and agile in flight and
only the female bite animals, including
humans, to obtain blood. They prefer to fly
in sun light, avoiding dark and shady areas,
and inactive at night

Medically the most
important are species:
 Heamatopota
 Tabanus
 chrysops
 Species of Tabanus and Chrysops are found in
temperate and tropical areas, but
Haematopota is absent from South America
and Australasia and is uncommon in North
America.

Morphology of tabandis
 Adult tabandis are very striking.
 They are large flies(some species up to approximately 15 mm -30mm), with a
short down ward –pointing proboscis and obvious mouthparts.
 Many, especially Tabanus species, are robust and heavily built, and this genus
contains the largest biting flies, some with a wingspan of 65 mm.
 The colouration of tabanids varies from very dark brown or black to lighter
reddish brown, yellow or greenish; frequently the abdomen and thorax have
stripes or patches of contrasting colours.

Con...
 The head is wide and convex (“half-moon” shaped) with large eyes which may
be brightly colored
 Antennae small and stout (3segments): no antennal arista. Size and shape of
antennae for distinction of generas.
 Thorax: stout & bear a pair of wings (when at rest like a pair of open scissors)
 Abdomen; broad & stout of different colors
 Males feed on only sugary secretions. Females also feed on sugary substances
but in addition to biting a wide variety of mammals such as domestic animals
(esp. Horses, cattles...)

Con..
Figure 1 : adult of deer fly and horsefly
 Eggs: creamy white, or blackish
Curved, approximately cigar shaped
Firmly glued in an upright position in a large mass to the substrate (water proofed)

 Larva: cylinderical and pointed at both ends
 Darkish pigmentation near the borders of the segments
 Very small black head (can be retracted in to the thorax)
 Pupa: brown colored, rounded anteriorly, tapering posteriorly
 Has leg & wing cases attached to the body
 A row of spines encircling each abdominal segment
 Six pointed projections at the apex of the abdomen
 Head & thorax combine to cephalothorax

Life cycle of tabandis
 Tabandis have complete metamorphosis ( egg, larvae, pupae, and adult).only
one generation is produced per year. Eggs are usually laid in large, layered
clusters of 100-1000 on vegetation or other objects overlying water or moist soil.
The larva undergoes several molts as it grows and depending on the species, the
larval stage may last a several months or as long as two to three years.
 Once the larva is fully developed it moves into drier soil to pupate. Depending
on the species, the pupal stage lasts approximately 5-21 days, and then the
adult flies emerge from the soil.
 Mating occurs shortly after the adults emerge. Females then lay in wait in
vegetation until a host for a blood meal wanders into range.

 figure 3 : life cycle of tabandis

Medical importance of tabandis
 Female tabandis can transfer blood borne disease from one animal to another
through their feeding habit. Some are:
 trypanosomes
 filarial worm loa loa
 anthrax among cattle and sheep
 tularemia, nuisance or painful biting
 severe allergic reaction to saliva

 Figure 3: severe allergic reaction to saliva

Control mechanism of tabandis:
 the use of repellents or partial repellents is
the only effective chemical strategy to reduce
the incidence of tabanids on livestock.
 Permanent traps (and possibly treated
silhouette traps) can be employed to intercept
flies.
 Selective grazing or confinement can also
reduce the impact of tabanids. Stable fly
adults are dependent on vertebrate blood for
survival and reproduction, but the amount of
time spent in contact with the host is
relatively small.

Con.....
 Stable fly larvae develop in manure, spilled feed and
decaying vegetation.
 Management of larval habitats by sanitation is the
key to stable fly control.
 Treatment of animals with residual insecticides can
aid in control; thorough application to the lower
body parts of livestock is important. Proper use of
modified traps, using either treated targets or solar-
powered electrocution grids, can be effective in
reducing stable fly populations

References
1. Tabanids | Oklahoma State University (okstate.edu)
2. Tabanids: Tabanus species - Horse Flies; Chrysops species – Deer Flies; Haematopota
species - Clegs - Learn About Parasites - Western College of Veterinary Medicine -
University of Saskatchewan (usask.ca)
3. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/12642856...
4. https://www.academia.edu/66854567/Biology_and.
5. Horse-flies (Tabanidae) (Chapter 7) - Medical Entomology for Students
(cambridge.org)
6. Biology and control of tabanids, stable flies and horn flies - PubMed (nih.gov)