Bug FAQTabanus taeniola
Tabanus taeniola · Order: Diptera · Family: Tabanidae
Source: Wikipedia
Tabanus taeniola is a horse fly found across Africa and into the eastern Mediterranean, reaching as far as Saudi Arabia. In Europe and the Levant it feeds on horses, donkeys, camels, dogs and people, while in Africa it mainly bites horses and cattle. It is an important vector of Trypanosoma parasites that cause surra, a disease that can be fatal to livestock and dogs.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
It belongs to the horse-fly family Tabanidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Does it bite or sting?
It transmits Trypanosoma parasites that cause surra, a disease that can be fatal to camels, equines, cattle and dogs.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
The species was first described from a specimen collected in Nigeria in 1806. It lives in Afrotropical regions and extends into the Palearctic, reaching the east Mediterranean coast, Egypt, Cyprus, the Levant and Saudi Arabia.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
In Europe and the Levant it feeds on the blood of horses, donkeys, camels, dogs and people; in Africa it mainly feeds on horses and cattle.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is native to Africa and the adjacent Palearctic areas, from Nigeria eastward to Saudi Arabia.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
Can Tabanus taeniola spread disease?
Yes, it carries Trypanosoma parasites that cause the fatal disease surra in camels, horses, cattle and dogs.
Source: Wikipedia
What animals does Tabanus taeniola bite?
It feeds on horses, donkeys, camels, dogs and people in Europe and the Levant, and mainly on horses and cattle in Africa.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is Tabanus taeniola found?
It is widespread across Africa and reaches the eastern Mediterranean, including Egypt, Cyprus, the Levant and Saudi Arabia.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Tabanidae)
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Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabanus_taeniola
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Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.