Horse Fly
NPC
HORSE FLY (Tabanus spp.)
Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Suborder: Brachycera
Infraorder: Tabanomorpha
Family: Tabanidae
Genus: Tabanus (common horse flies in the northeastern U.S.)
LONG DESCRIPTION FOR GAME USE (Blood and BROOD):
The horse fly (Tabanus spp.) is a large, muscular, fast-flying insect with piercing mouthparts and enormous compound eyes. Females feed on blood to support egg production, while males—like many other dipterans—consume nectar and plant juices. Their signature iridescent green or black eyes, heavily striated thorax, and strong wings make them unmistakable. Unlike mosquitoes, which delicately insert a proboscis and inject a numbing agent, the horse fly uses a slicing, scissor-like mouthpart to tear flesh, producing immediate pain. The result is a bleeding wound that they lap up with sponge-like labella.
In blood and brood, the horse fly is a territorial NPC, passive until provoked. It doesn’t seek out conflict, but if a player mosquito enters its feeding radius or crosses its airspace while the horse fly is searching for a host, the horse fly may pursue and attempt to body slam the player mid-flight. With its incredible speed and acceleration, the horse fly delivers blunt force trauma that can disorient or kill a weakened or blood-laden mosquito.
The horse fly does not feed on other insects, but its sheer size and aggression make it a threat. It is especially dangerous during moments when the player is attempting to land or feed, as its aerial disruption can ruin a delicate approach or cause a fatal crash into a wall or predator zone.
GAME MECHANIC ROLES:
Behavior: Patrols a loosely defined feeding area, especially near livestock or warm-blooded animals.
Detection: Sees movement and heat from far away, but won’t attack unless its path is crossed or it's on alert.
Tactics: Can be used as a living distraction—when lured toward a predator like the dragonfly or centipede, the horse fly becomes a decoy. However, luring it is risky.
Flight Signature: Loud and buzzing; the player hears it long before it arrives. The closer it gets, the more it rattles the UI.
Territorial Trigger: Gets hostile if the player is feeding in its visual cone or lands on a surface the horse fly is scouting.
RANDOM FACT FOR IN-GAME LOADING SCREEN:
A horse fly’s bite is so painful because it cuts into flesh rather than piercing gently like a mosquito. Its saliva also inhibits blood clotting.
RELATION TO MOSQUITOES:Though both are blood-feeders (hematophagous), they evolved different mechanisms for feeding. The mosquito (Culicidae) delicately inserts a needle-like proboscis, while the horse fly violently tears skin. Their competition for the same hosts puts them in adjacent evolutionary niches, often intersecting only at the point of contact: blood. This makes them natural rivals, but not predators—both are trying to survive in the same brutal environment.
In blood and brood, the horse fly represents brute survivalism, contrasting with the mosquito's stealth and strategy.
