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Just a point of note, many Tabanids (horse and deer flies) do not need a
blood meal to produce the first batch of eggs. It's the second and
subsequent batches, presumably after initial stored resources are gone,
that the blood meal is required.
Randy
_________________________________
RF Lauff
Way in the boonies of
Antigonish County, NS.
On 13 June 2016 at 15:13, Stephen Shaw <srshaw@dal.ca> wrote:
> Hi Paul,
> Very unlikely. 'Deer flies' is the well-recognized name for tabanids
> (family Tabanidae) of the large genus Chrysops, from the primitive end of
> the very large section of relatively recently evolved flies, those grouped
> as Brachycera ('short horns', referring to their relatively short
> antennae). Like other tabanids, the females require a blood meal to
> develop their eggs, and are the ones that commonly bother you in the summer
> in wooded areas or clearings by trying to land on the back of your neck and
> 'bite' you (actually, saw into you). The males don't do this, are seldom
> seen, and visit flowers.
>
> There are 25* or so eastern Canadian species pictured in a useful
> identification guide that I can't lay hands on at present**, and ~45
> species listed for Canada and Alaska by H. J. Teskey (1990) in a very large
> publication on Tabanidae, available as a free PDF file from a Govt of
> Canada site, but which may cause indigestion.
>
> As far as I know, none of the Chrysops around here assemble in hilltop
> swarms such as you observed.
> Steve
> **updating this, the Chrysops ID guide is available here:
> http://cjai.biologicalsurvey.ca/tm-08/chrysops15.htm
> (*indicates that there are 40 species recognized east of the Rockies, not
> 25; click on Gallery to see colour photos)
> ________________________________________
> From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca [naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca] on
> behalf of Paul Ruggles [cpruggles@eastlink.ca]
> Sent: Monday, June 13, 2016 11:38 AM
> To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
> Subject: [NatureNS] flies
>
> Steve
> Could they have been "deer" flys?
> Paul.
>
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<div dir=3D"ltr">Just a point of note, many Tabanids (horse and deer flies)=
do not need a blood meal to produce the first batch of eggs. It's the =
second and subsequent batches, presumably after initial stored resources ar=
e gone, that the blood meal is required.<div><br></div><div>Randy</div></di=
v><div class=3D"gmail_extra"><br clear=3D"all"><div><div class=3D"gmail_sig=
nature" data-smartmail=3D"gmail_signature">________________________________=
_<br>RF Lauff<br>Way in the boonies of<br>Antigonish County, NS.</div></div=
>
<br><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On 13 June 2016 at 15:13, Stephen Shaw <span=
dir=3D"ltr"><<a href=3D"mailto:srshaw@dal.ca" target=3D"_blank">srshaw@=
dal.ca</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"=
margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">Hi Paul,<br>
Very unlikely.=C2=A0 'Deer flies' is the well-recognized name for t=
abanids (family Tabanidae) of the large genus Chrysops, from the primitive =
end of the very large section of relatively recently evolved flies, those g=
rouped as Brachycera ('short horns', referring to their relatively =
short antennae).=C2=A0 Like other tabanids, the females require a blood mea=
l to develop their eggs, and are the ones that commonly bother you in the s=
ummer in wooded areas or clearings by trying to land on the back of your ne=
ck and 'bite' you (actually, saw into you).=C2=A0 The males don'=
;t do this, are seldom seen, and visit flowers.<br>
<br>
There are 25* or so eastern Canadian species pictured in a useful identific=
ation guide that I can't lay hands on at present**, and ~45 species lis=
ted for Canada and Alaska by H. J. Teskey (1990) in a very large publicatio=
n on Tabanidae, available as a free PDF file from a Govt of Canada site, bu=
t which may cause indigestion.<br>
<br>
As far as I know, none of the Chrysops around here assemble in hilltop swar=
ms such as you observed.<br>
Steve<br>
**updating this, the Chrysops ID guide is available here:<br>
<a href=3D"http://cjai.biologicalsurvey.ca/tm-08/chrysops15.htm" rel=3D"nor=
eferrer" target=3D"_blank">http://cjai.biologicalsurvey.ca/tm-08/chrysops15=
.htm</a><br>
(*indicates that there are 40 species recognized east of the Rockies, not 2=
5; click on Gallery to see colour photos)<br>
________________________________________<br>
From: <a href=3D"mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens-owner@chebu=
cto.ns.ca</a> [<a href=3D"mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens-ow=
ner@chebucto.ns.ca</a>] on behalf of Paul Ruggles [<a href=3D"mailto:cprugg=
les@eastlink.ca">cpruggles@eastlink.ca</a>]<br>
Sent: Monday, June 13, 2016 11:38 AM<br>
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca<=
br>
Subject: [NatureNS] flies<br>
<br>
Steve<br>
Could they have been "deer" flys?<br>
Paul.<br>
</blockquote></div><br></div>
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