Black Horse Fly vs Yellow Swarming Fly
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Black Horse Fly | Yellow Swarming Fly |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Tabanus atratus | Thaumatomyia notata |
| Order | Diptera | Diptera |
| Family | Tabanidae | Chloropidae |
| Size | 20-28 mm | 2-2.5 mm |
| Habitat | Farmland | Grasslands |
| Diet | Blood Feeders | Predators |
| Regions | Eastern United States from the Great Plains to the Atlantic coast | Europe |
| 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.
Yellow Swarming Fly
A tiny yellow fly famous for forming enormous hibernation aggregations in buildings, sometimes numbering millions. Larvae are predatory on root aphids in grassland.
Did You Know?
Can form hibernation clusters of millions in attic spaces, with individual aggregations weighing several kilograms.