''Tabanus sudeticus'', also known as the dark giant horsefly, is a species of biting horse-fly. It is the heaviest fly in Europe.

Description

The dark giant horsefly's length is around 20-25 millimeters. They have uniform dark brown eyes. Dark giant horseflies are a common species to be found buzzing around cows and horses. They usually only suck blood from those horses and cows, avoiding humans. They fly with a very loud buzzing.

Distribution

''Tabanus sudeticus'' is found in many countries of Western Europe. It has a marked northern and western distribution; being found as far north as southern

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

and the Western Isles of

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

, and with an occasional record from

Belarus Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by R ...

References

Tabanidae Diptera of Europe Taxa named by Philipp Christoph Zeller Insects described in 1842 {{tabanoidea-stub