# Striped Horse Fly

*Tabanus lineola*

Only females bite, using scissor-like mouthparts to slash skin, while males feed peacefully on flowers.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Diptera › Tabanidae › Tabanus
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** wetland
- **Habitat:** Marshes, wet pastures, swamps, and coastal wetlands.
- **Diet:** Females feed on mammalian blood; males and females feed on nectar and plant juices.
- **Range:** North America, Central America
- **Size:** 10-15 mm in length
- **Lifespan:** Adults live 3-4 weeks; larvae can live up to a year.
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Wetland drainage, water pollution, and widespread chemical pesticide application.
- **Safe to approach?:** Females bite painfully to feed on blood. If encountered, wear light-colored clothing and use insect repellent containing DEET. If bitten, wash the area with soap and water, apply antiseptic, and avoid scratching to prevent infection.

## About

Tabanus lineola , also known as the striped horse fly , is a species of biting horse-fly. It is known from the eastern and southern United States and the Gulf coast of Mexico.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/2c6afa9f-f787-4f55-85d3-3079ba65b073
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/120354
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabanus lineola
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/146325732/medium.jpeg (Michelle W. （鍾偉瑋）, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.