Male Black Horse Fly

Subject: strange fly
Location: Chesapeake va
August 7, 2014 4:19 pm
Just curious what kind of fly this is..never seen anything like it. It landed on me and scared me half to death..lol
Signature: Christina

Male Black Horse Fly

Dear Christina,
You can tell by the close set eyes that this Black Horse Fly, Tabanus atratus, is a male.  You can compare your image to this image on BugGuide.  Only female Horse Flies bite and suck blood.  Males take nourishment from fruit.  According to BugGuide:  “Females feed on mammalian blood, while males, which lack mandibles, feed on nectar and plant juices (Long 2001). This species especially prone to attack cattle and other livestock.”

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Location: Chesapeake, Virginia