Maria Lukyanenko/ article author
Identification of pests, work with insect cultures, micrograph of insects, bibliographic studies.

The difference between gadfly and horsefly

When it comes to horseflies, many mistakenly believe that information can relate to and gadfly. All of them belong to flies, but have many differences in the methods of reproduction, as well as other features of life. Horseflies and gadflies cause many inconveniences not only to humans, but also to many pets. Therefore, knowledge of the enemy will allow you to quickly find ways to get rid of annoying bloodsuckers.

Features of life

It is not practical to look for differences between the gadfly, horsefly and pout.

On a note!

Gadfly and paut are the same insect. The more common name for a biting fly sounds just like a gadfly, and pout is just a regional name for an insect that has been assigned to it in certain areas of the country. Therefore, in order to protect himself, a person should be able to recognize only gadfly and horsefly, the differences of which must be sought in appearance.

In the photo of the gadfly and horsefly, it is clearly seen that the latter are larger flies, which are equipped with two pairs of wings and large bright eyes, occupying most of the body. Gadgets are much smaller and less colorful. just one pair of wings and more yellow on the body. A photo of the difference between blind and gadfly, clearly demonstrates the external differences.

Gadfly and horsefly
Gadfly and horsefly

Also, gadflies and horseflies feed in different ways. Male horseflies lead a herbivorous lifestyle and prefer to eat only plant juices and nectar. Female individuals do the same. After the female is ready for mating, she becomes very aggressive and switches to a predatory lifestyle.

Interesting!

Horseflies can also feed on animal corpses. Such food is attractive to them only for a few days after the death of the victim.

Adult gadflies generally eat it. This explains their short life cycle. Nutrition and accumulation of beneficial substances occurs at the larval stage. When the gadfly has wings and the ability to mate, they begin to actively lay their eggs and mate.

Habitat

Separate attention should be paid to the question of where gadflies and horseflies live. The vital activity of horseflies is directly related to the availability of fluid. That is why insects prefer to settle near ponds or any artificial sources of water. They can also be taken by animal drinkers, especially if they rarely change water. The higher the temperature and drier on the street, the more and more often they will need to quench their thirst.

Experienced farmers know where the flies and horseflies come from. After all, insects cannot exist separately from humans and domestic animals. Especially, given the fact that cattle themselves become the object of breeding pests. Horseflies that prefer to settle near rivers at the larval stage, after reaching maturity, are sure to look for places of mass grazing in order to have enough food.

On a note!

Gadgets cannot exist without mammals, therefore they also prefer to live in grazing areas. This allows the pest to lay larvae and breed. Females are the first to find pastures, after them males flock to this place.

Breeding differences

Gadfly and horsefly
Gadfly and horsefly

The most striking value by which one can answer how the gadfly differs from horsefly is the peculiarity of their reproduction. Gadfly prefer to lay their eggs in the body of a mammal, less often a person.

Different types of these bloodsuckers find different ways of introducing larvae into the host organism. There are such ways:

  1. The female lays eggs on the grass, which the animal absorbs in food.
  2. Viviparous gadflies. The female immediately lays the larva on that part of the body that the animal most often scratches and licks. Further development of the individual occurs in the host’s stomach.
  3. Injection under the skin. The most popular method of reproduction. The female gadfly chooses a place on the body of cattle so that he cannot reach it and lays eggs under the skin.

Interesting!

More often than not, horseflies attack horses and gadflies attack cattle.

The main difference in the way gadflies and horseflies breed, is also the place of egg laying. Horseflies do not introduce their larvae under the skin or inside a person or animal. They do masonry in grass or soil. The female horsefly selects shaded areas near water bodies and rivers for masonry.

Among the similarities, identical developmental stages of individuals can be noted:

  1. Egg.
  2. Larva.
  3. Dolly.
  4. Adult

When considering how many gadflies and horseflies live, it is necessary to build on their stage of development.

  • The gadfly spends most of its life at the larval stage. The full life cycle is 28 days. before the full release of an adult, a year passes.
  • Horseflies live a little longer. An adult is limited to the warm season, while there is free access to food. At less mature stages of development, horseflies live for several years until they are fully ripe.

What are the dangers

Gadfly and horsefly
Gadfly and horsefly

Horseflies and gadflies cause a lot of inconvenience to both humans and animals. Determining which of them is more dangerous is very difficult. The danger of horseflies is increasing because they prefer to actively use the victim’s blood. It serves not only as a source of nutrition, but also an integral part of the reproduction process. For 1 time, horsefly is able to drink up to 200 ml of blood from the body of its victim. A massive insect attack on herds of cattle can reduce the number of milk yield by a quarter. Farmers suffer considerable losses from this, therefore they prefer get rid of gadfly and horseflies, do not skimp and allocate part of the funds specifically for the prevention of their occurrence, acquiring effective preparations for animals.

The danger among the whole subfamily of ovodovs is represented by only 2 species that are common in our country. They do not drink blood, but even without it pose a serious danger to humans and animals.

Damage to a living organism larvaethat an adult female implants under the skin of animals or humans. As a result of the development of larvae inside the host’s body, he has poor health, discomfort, weakness and many other unpleasant consequences. In the most severe cases, the larvae can get into the human eye or head. In this case, only a complex operation will help solve the problem, which cannot guarantee the return of full health. For preventive purposes, it is recommended to use special means.

Thus, the difference between gadfly and horsefly is enormous. These are completely different insects, which differ in reproduction, nutrition and appearance. But the similarities unite these large families - they all bring a lot of inconvenience and trouble to a person and his household.

The ability to distinguish gadfly from horseflies should help not only find an effective way to deal with them, but also know what danger they pose in order to defend themselves correctly.

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