Striped horsefly. Macro photograph of a female striped horsefly (Tabanus lineola), showing its large compound eyes. Only the female has this distincti

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Striped horsefly. Macro photograph of a female striped horsefly (Tabanus lineola), showing its large compound eyes. Only the female has this distinctive striped pattern on its eyes. This bloodsucking insect mainly feeds on cattle and horses. It pierces the skin using its sharp mouthparts (lower centre). It is a large fly, reaching over two centimetres in length. The wounds inflicted by this fly are long-lasting and painful. Photographed in Oklahoma, USA, in summer.

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Size: 3468px × 2553px
Photo credit: © THOMAS SHAHAN/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: america, american, anatomical, anatomy, animal, arthropod, arthropods, biological, biology, bloodsucker, close-, colourful, compound, detail, entomological, entomology, eye, eyes, fauna, female, fly, horse, horsefly, insect, insects, invertebrate, invertebrates, lineola, macro, macrophotograph, nature, north, oklahoma, pest, states, striped, summer, tabanus, united, usa, wildlife, zoological, zoology