March Flies (Tabanidae)
Common Name: March Flies
Latin Name: Tabanidae
Appearance:
March flies are often known as horseflies or deerflies.
March flies are small to medium-sized insects with black bodies and short antennae. Some species can be identified by red or yellow spots.
The size of March flies ranges from 14 to 12 inches.
The March fly larvae are black, leathery maggots with distinct heads. The body has countless small bumps and protrusions.
The size of March fly maggots ranges from 14 to 1 inch. The pupae are brownish in color and slender.
Host plants:
When attempting to bite, they may be vexingly persistent. Adults of both sexes consume nectar and plant fluids.
Territory:
March flies may be found throughout North America, although substantial populations are concentrated in the southeastern United States. Approximately 200 species are suited to fill a specific ecological niche. This implies that March flies are present all year in most places but have substantial seasonal abundance surges, such as during the rainy season in northern Australia.
Damages caused by March Flies:
March fly bites can cause discomfort, cutaneous nodules, secondary myiasis from other insects, anemia, weight loss, and decreased milk supply. March flies are a wide genus of huge blood-sucking insects that bite painfully, inflict significant discomfort, and induce blood loss. Heavy assaults might result in considerable output losses, such as decreased weight increase.
Life history and habits:
March flies breed on wet soil, decaying plants, sand, and tree rot holes. Depending on the species and soil temperature, their life cycle from egg to adult might take months or years. Adults typically have a lifespan of three to four weeks. Female March flies enter the earth after mating and lay 200 to 300 eggs. Maggots develop from eggs and feed on leaf litter and the roots of live plants. They have been found in potatoes that wireworms had previously harmed. Their eating accelerates the decomposition of plant tissue into humus. Adult March flies typically emerge in early to late April (sometimes in autumn). These flies visit flowers and can be efficient pollinators at times.
