Tabanidae?

[konitzlee]

Hello all!!

Me and my wife were at an active stable in northern Poland, and we saw this insect. She insists it's a common house fly (Musca domestica) while I am sure it's a horse-fly (tabanidae).

Here's the link to the insect photo I took:

ibb.co/cMknXF

Can you guys help us out? Thanks a lot!!

[mygos]

I agree with your wife

A+, Michel

[nomad]

This is not a horse-fly or a house fly, its a flesh fly, Sarcophaga. There are several similar species in the family Sarcophagidae. The female lays her eggs in carrion.

[isidro]

nomad is right, altough the correct spelling is Sarcophaga. So is not closely related with house fly (Musca domestica) nor to horseflies (Tabanidae), but it's in a third family very different to both.

[nomad]

Thanks typo.

[konitzlee]

Thanks guys. Very helpful and very quick to answer. I was sure it couldn't be a common fly because it was almost 4 to 5 time the size and it did not behave like a fly, for instance it wouldn't fly away if a hand would come close to it. I should have known it was not a horse-fly because of its size, but not being an expert, well I had no chance to identify it. Thanks a lot!!

[isidro]

Tabanidae is a big family (although not as big as Muscidae or Sarcophagidae), with many genera, and the size of them is quite variable depending of the species. Just in Europe, smaller Chrysops or Haematopota are roughly of equal size than a domestic fly (Musca domestica), while the bigger species such as Tabanus sudeticus and Tabanus barbarus are many times bigger. So, size is not a feature for identify horseflies as a family, but their appareance is generally quite distinctive.