Interactions

In all Tabanidae, only the females bite; inseminated females suck blood from mostly warm blooded animals and invertebrates by flying around and attacking the dorsal portions of its victims (Gordh and Headrick 2001). To find out more about how this species feed you can go to the nutrition page of this website.

Tabanus can be vectors for multiple diseases that infect mammals and invertebrates. Such diseases are listed below (Gordh and Headrick 2001):

·         Anthrax

·         Anaplasmosis

·         Filarial worms

·         Bacterial Tularaemia (humans)

·         Dirofilaria roemiri  (marcropod marsupials)

·         Elaeophora schneideri (sheep)

·         sporozoans (turtles)

·         trypanosomes (livestock)

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