Blood-red Click Beetle vs Black Horse Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Blood-red Click Beetle Black Horse Fly
Scientific Name Ampedus sanguinolentus Tabanus atratus
Order Coleoptera Diptera
Family Elateridae Tabanidae
Size 10-14 mm 20-28 mm
Habitat Woodlands Farmland
Diet Blood Feeders Blood Feeders
Regions Europe Eastern United States from the Great Plains to the Atlantic coast
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Blood-red Click Beetle

A striking click beetle with deep blood-red elytra and a black head and pronotum. Larvae develop in the decaying heartwood of old deciduous trees over a multi-year development cycle.

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Did You Know?

The genus Ampedus contains over 150 species worldwide, many with vibrant red or orange coloration.

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.

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Did You Know?

Its larvae are aquatic predators that live in muddy pond bottoms and can take up to two years to complete development.