Black Horse Fly vs Eastern Bat Bug
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Black Horse Fly | Eastern Bat Bug |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Tabanus atratus | Cimex adjunctus |
| Order | Diptera | Hemiptera |
| Family | Tabanidae | Cimicidae |
| Size | 20-28 mm | 4-5 mm |
| Habitat | Farmland | Gardens |
| Diet | Blood Feeders | Blood Feeders |
| Regions | Eastern United States from the Great Plains to the Atlantic coast | Eastern North America |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Black Horse Fly
A very large entirely black horse fly and one of the biggest flies in North America. Females are persistent blood-feeders that can harass livestock and humans during summer months.
Did You Know?
Its larvae are aquatic predators that live in muddy pond bottoms and can take up to two years to complete development.
Eastern Bat Bug
A blood-feeding ectoparasite primarily of bats in eastern North America. It can bite humans when bat colonies are removed from buildings.
Did You Know?
It is nearly indistinguishable from the common bed bug and requires microscopic examination to tell apart.