Stable flies are slightly smaller than house flies. It is about 1/4" long, and gray with 4 black stripes on the thorax. Stable flies have dark stripes on their back and a checkerboard-like pattern on the top of their abdomen. These stout flies, as small as a housefly or as large as a bumble bee, are sometimes known as greenheaded monsters; their metallic or iridescent eyes meet dorsally in the male and are separate in the female. Flies, including stable flies and mosquitoes (which are also classified as flies, or Diptera), can inflict painful bites while feeding on the blood of Low-Toxic Fly Management for Horses. Horn flies are small in size, approximately 3/16” in length and are usually found on the backs, sides and poll area of cattle. There are many fly control options and strategies available to Nebraska livestock producers to help manage the three fly species that economically impact grazing cattle; the horn fly, face fly and stable fly. During warmer months, house and stable flies are common pests around equine facilities. House flies, for example, can spread diseases such as food poisoning and dysentery. House flies and stable flies need breeding material, moisture, and warmth to develop. by Barb Ogg, PhD, Extension Educator. Although some flies may be caught on the tapes, there is no attractiveness to them except the vertical surface for resting. Be sure and check the label to determine if it attracts this pest. In fact, the economic impact to cattle on pasture is about equal to that of confined cattle. The house fly is often confused with the stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans (Linnaeus), and the false stable fly, Muscina stabulans (Germar). Horse fly, any member of the insect family Tabanidae (order Diptera), but more specifically any member of the genus Tabanus. Figure 7. A dorsal comparison of adult stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans (Linnaeus) (left), and house fly, Musca domestica Linnaeus (right). All three are in the same family. Brisket There are four horizontal stripes on the breastpiece of the stable fly. Horn Flies. The stable fly has a shorter and wider abdomen than the house fly. Stable flies also have long, bayonet … A successful fly control program must rely on timely elimination of breeding sites and moisture control. House flies are primarily a nuisance, although they are potential disease vectors. Sticky tapes and baits are not effective for stable fly control. There are many house fly traps on the market but only two traps that attract the stable fly. Adult stable flies are typically 5–7 mm in length, and unlike the house fly, which has an unpatterned abdomen, stable fly abdomens have seven circular spots (Figure 3). Muscid flies and their maggots breed most commonly in manure. Insecticides can help to provide some temporary reduction of house fly and stable fly populations but cannot be the basis of effective fly management. Historically, stable flies and house flies have been considered pests only in confinement facilities, but in recent years they have been found to be an important problem in pasture cattle. Stable flies have a long, sharp proboscis. A variety of species around the world appear similar to the housefly, such as the lesser house fly, Fannia canicularis; the stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans; and other members of the genus Musca such as M. vetustissima, the Australian bush fly and several closely related taxa that include M. primitiva, M. shanghaiensis, M. violacea, and M. varensis. email this page to a friend. The bite feels like a stab by a pin in the skin. OUCH! Stable fly acquiring its next meal. The house fly and other types of “filth flies” can become nuisance pests, but also are important for their potential to harm humans and animals. The stable fly also has a characteristic checkerboard pattern on the upper side of the abdomen. The house fly doesn't bite, unlike face flies, stable flies, and horn flies, which are also in the family Muscidae. Length Stable flies are on average slightly smaller than house flies. Stable flies and house flies on pasture cattle. The stable fly adult is similar to the house fly in size and color. Because it has sponging or lapping mouthparts, the housefly cannot bite; a near relative, the stable fly, however, does bite.