Haematopota

Haematopota

 

a genus of dipterous flies of the family Tabanidae. They differ from other tabanids by the marble pattern on their wings. There are more than 200 species, of which 14 are found in the USSR. The Haematopota are bloodsuckers, attacking man and mammals. They are especially active and numerous before rainfall on moist meadows. They land unnoticed on the skin, and their presence is noticed only after they have pierced the skin. The larvae of Haematopota develop in the mud along shores of bodies of fresh water or in damp soil. They are carriers of tularemia, anthrax, and trypanosomiasis in domestic animals.

REFERENCE

Opredelitel’ nasekomykh Evropeiskoi chasti SSSR. Edited by G. la. Bei-Bienko, vol. 5, part 1. Moscow, 1969.