Green Metallic Tunneler vs Black Horse Fly
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Green Metallic Tunneler | Black Horse Fly |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Onitis alexis | Tabanus atratus |
| Order | Coleoptera | Diptera |
| Family | Scarabaeidae | Tabanidae |
| Size | 14-22 mm | 20-28 mm |
| Habitat | Farmland | Farmland |
| Diet | Dung Feeders | Blood Feeders |
| Regions | Africa, introduced to Australia | Eastern United States from the Great Plains to the Atlantic coast |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Green Metallic Tunneler
A medium-sized tunneling dung beetle with a metallic green pronotum and dark brown elytra. Males have an enlarged prothorax. It constructs vertical tunnels beneath cattle dung and is nocturnal.
Did You Know?
Introduced to Australia in the 1980s, this species was specifically targeted for its ability to handle cattle dung in tropical climates.
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.