Stable Fly by NightGallery

Photography • Macro • posted on Nov 10, 2009

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No AI - This artwork was created entirely by hand or with traditional digital tools.

Description

A new one for me. Thought these were just small house flies until I looked through my macro lens and saw the long mouth parts. Some info below about these flies. Thanks for looking. -Bruce "Stable Flies - Stomoxys calcitrans" is a daytime feeder. The adults of both sexes feed on blood. There is low host specificity; although they feed mainly on the blood of cattle and horses. Adults locate a host by sight, and feeding is usually completed in two to five minutes. After feeding the stable fly is sluggish, and remains motionless near the host. The proboscis of the stable fly is black, long, and thin, protruding from the front of the head. Its other mouthparts are modified, with the labellum having rows of teeth in order to pierce the skin of its host. The palps are one third of the length of the proboscis.