Black-eared flying fox vs common horse fly

Pteropus melanotus compared with Haematopota pluvialis

Key Differences

  • Black-eared flying fox is Vulnerable while common horse fly is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank Black-eared flying fox common horse fly
Kingdom same Animalia (Animals) Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Chordata (Chordates) Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Mammalia (Mammals) Insecta (Insects)
Order Chiroptera (Bats) Diptera (Diptera)
Family Pteropodidae (Fruit Bats) Tabanidae
Genus Pteropus (Flying Foxes) Haematopota
Species Pteropus melanotus Haematopota pluvialis

Evolutionary Relationship

Black-eared flying fox and common horse fly share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Black-eared flying fox

VU — Vulnerable

common horse fly

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute Black-eared flying fox common horse fly
Diet
Average Lifespan
Average Length
Average Weight

Habitat & Geographic Range

Black-eared flying fox

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

common horse fly

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Black-eared flying fox

The Black-eared flying fox (Pteropus melanotus) is a species in the genus Pteropus. It is currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

common horse fly

<em>Haematopota pluvialis</em>, commonly known as the common horse fly, is a blood-feeding dipteran insect in the family Tabanidae. It is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. The species is recorded from Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, with a distribution centered in northwestern Europe, where it typically inhabits moist, vegetated areas near water bodies, woodland margins, and pastures. Female horse flies are well known as ectoparasites of large mammals, while males are primarily nectar feeders. Diet information beyond this general feeding ecology is not available in current species records. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

Nature FYI Family

Explore more of the natural world across our sister sites.

Part of the Nature FYI family — FYIPedia