title: Hybomitra aterrima
text: # Hybomitra aterrima
  
  Hybomitra aterrima is a species of horse flies in the family Tabanidae.
  
  ## Distribution
  
  This species can be found in most of Europe (Austria, Bosnia, Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Republic of Macedonia, Romania, Spain and Switzerland).
  
  ## Description
  
  Hybomitra aterrima can reach a length of 13–16 millimetres (0.51–0.63 in).
  
  The body is black and the wings are transparent, with a small dark patch at the base of the vein R4.
  
  Face is black haired, with high antennal bows. Palpi are blackish with black hairs. The compound eyes are well-developed in both sexes. They have an iridescent light green pigmentation, with three blue-reddish transversal bands.
  
  The Hybomitra aterrima var. auripila (Meigen) has the abdominal tergites more or less distinctly golden-yellow pubescent on posterior margins.
  
  ## Biology
  
  Males of these horse flies feed on plant juices, while female are bloodsuckers, feeding mainly on mammalian blood, as they require a blood meal before they are able to reproduce. They may be very annoying for cattle, but usually they do not bite people.
  
  