Difference between revisions of "Tabanidae"

Revision as of 14:26, 29 March 2010

Also known as horse flies

Large flies

Found worldwide

Attack a wide variety of animals, including humans

Important veterinary species are
- Tabanus
- Chrysops
- Haematopota

Recognition

2.5cm long

Biting mouthparts
- Short, strong and down pointing proboscis
- Only females suck blood

Dark colour with stripes or patches of colour on body and wings

Large eyes
- Often brightly coloured

Specific wing venation
- Closed discal cell shape

Stout

Life Cycle

Eggs laid on leaves overhanging water

Larvae drop into water

1 year later larvae emerge onto dry land to pupate

Adult flies emerge a few weeks after pupating

Life cycle takes over 1 year to complete

Pathogenesis

Most active on hot, sunny days

Locate prey by sight

Cause painful irritating bites

Mechanical vectors for many diseases
- Bacteria such as anthrax and pasteurellosis
- Viruses such as Equine infectious anaemia and African horse sickness
- Rickettsiales, such as anaplasmosis

Intermediate hosts for some trypanosome diseases

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{OpenPagesTop}}
+*Also known as horse flies
-Also known as: '''''Horse flies — Deerflies — Clegs'''''
-{{Taxobox
+*Large flies
-|name               =Culicidae
-|kingdom            =Animalia
+*Found worldwide
-|sub-kingdom        =
-|phylum             =[[:Category:Arthropods|Arthropoda]]
+*Attack a wide variety of animals, including humans
-|super-class        =
-|class              =[[:Category:Insecta|Insecta]]
+*Important veterinary species are
-|sub-class          =
+**''Tabanus''
-|super-order        =
+**''Chrysops''
-|order              =Diptera
+**''Haematopota
-|sub-order          =Brachycera
-|super-family       =
-|family             =Tabanidae
-|sub-family         =
-|genus              =
-|species            =
-}}
-==Introduction==
-[[Image:Tabanus.jpg|150px|thumb|right|Tabanidae tabanus (horse fly). Source: Wikimedia Commons; Author: Alvesgaspar (2010)]]
-Tabanidae flies are found throughout the world and although commonly being known as the horse fly they attack a wide variety of animals including humans. There are several genus of veterinary importance;
-*''Tabanus''
-*''Chrysops'' -  also known as deerflies
-*''Haematopota'' - also known as clegs
 ==Recognition==
-::'''Adults'''
+*2.5cm long
-Tabanidae flies are large flies, up to 2.5cm long with bodies that are usually dark in colour. The dark bodies may have stripes or patches of colour down them or be entirely coloured in some cases. They have broad heads with biting mouth parts and bulging eyes that are often brightly coloured. The mouthparts are adapted to biting a sucking blood, and always point downwards. They consist of paired mandibles and maxillae which are used for cutting and rasping to create a feeding hole. Blood is then sucked using a protruding hypopharynx. The mouthparts are short and deal roughly with the host, this is often the cause of pain for the host. Only females take a blood meal, males lack mandibles and may only feed on honeydew and nectar. The wings of Tabanidae flies have a distinctive venation. The antennae are all in three segments but differ between the 3 important veterinary genus.
+*Biting mouthparts
+**Short, strong and down pointing proboscis
+**Only females suck blood
+*Dark colour with stripes or patches of colour on body and wings
-::'''Larvae'''
+*Large eyes
-Tabanidae larvae are large, 1.5 - 3cm in length with large biting mandibles. They are off white in colour with longitudinal striations on the cuticle. There are paired unsegmented appendages, psuedopods, along the body to assist in movement. The posterior of the larvae usually has a respiratory siphon present.
+**Often brightly coloured
+*Specific wing venation
+**Closed discal cell shape
+*Stout
-::'''Eggs'''
-Eggs are an off white colour and cigar shaped. They can be between 1 - 3 mm long.
 ==Life Cycle==
-Tabanidae flies lay their eggs on the underside of leaves overhanging areas of water. When the eggs hatch the larvae fall from the leaves into the water where they remain for anywhere between 3 months and 3 years if overwintering occurs. Once the larvae have developed they move onto dry land to pupate. The pupa hatches after about 3 weeks and live flies emerge. In total this life cycle takes '''over one year''' to complete.
+*Eggs laid on leaves overhanging water
+*Larvae drop into water
+*1 year later larvae emerge onto dry land to pupate
+*Adult flies emerge a few weeks after pupating
+*Life cycle takes '''over 1 year''' to complete
 ==Pathogenesis==
-The Tabanidae flies in themselves are responsible for painful, irritating bites which can cause distress to the animal in question. They are most active on hot, sunny days and locate their prey by sight using their large bulbous eyes. As well as causing irritation when biting the flies act as mechanical vectors for a number of other pathogens;
+*Most active on hot, sunny days
-*Bacteria such as [[Bacillus species#Bacillus anthracis|anthrax]] and pasteurellosis
-*Viruses such as [[Equine Infectious Anemia|Equine infectious anaemia]] and [[African Horse Sickness|African horse sickness]]
-*Rickettsiales, such as [[Anaplasmosis|anaplasmosis]]
-The Tabanidae flies may also act as intermediate host for some trypanosome species.
-{{Learning
+*Locate prey by sight
-|literature search = [http://www.cabdirect.org/search.html?q=title%3A%28tabanidae%29&fq=sc%3A%22ve%22 Tabanidae publications]
-}}
+*Cause painful irritating bites
-{{review}}
+*Mechanical vectors for many diseases
+**Bacteria such as [[Bacillus species#Bacillus anthracis|anthrax]] and pasteurellosis
+**Viruses such as [[Equine Infectious Anemia|Equine infectious anaemia]] and [[African Horse Sickness|African horse sickness]]
+**Rickettsiales, such as [[Rickettsiales#Bovine anaplasmosis|anaplasmosis]]
-{{OpenPages}}
+*Intermediate hosts for some trypanosome diseases
-[[Category:Biting_Flies]]
+[[Category:Parasites]][[Category:Flies]][[Category:Biting_Flies]]
-[[Category:Expert_Review - Parasites]]

Difference between revisions of "Tabanidae"

Revision as of 14:26, 29 March 2010

Recognition

Life Cycle

Pathogenesis

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