HIPPOBOSCIDAE
(“Forest” flies, flat flies, bird flies, keds)

Subtaxon Example images Rank Featured
subtaxa		 No of
images		 No of
ID refs
Crataerina hirundinis
a flat fly
(Click to open)
 		Species 10 images
Crataerina pallida
a flat fly
(Click to open)
 		Species 2 images
Hippobosca equina
a flat fly
(Click to open)
 		Species 6 images
Lipoptena cervi
Deer Ked, Deer-ked, Deer Fly
(Click to open) (Click to open)
 		Species 12 images
Ornithomya
a genus of flat flies
Male (Click to open)
 		Genus 1 subtaxa 9 images 1 ident. refs
Taxonomic hierarchy:
FamilyHIPPOBOSCIDAE (“Forest” flies, flat flies, bird flies, keds)
SuperfamilyHIPPOBOSCOIDEA (bat flies and flat flies)
InfraorderSchizophora - Calyptratae (an infraorder of flies)
OrderDIPTERA (two-winged flies)
Division Endopterygota (bees, beetles, flies, moths and other insects with wings developing internally)
InfraclassNeoptera (bees, beetles, flies, grasshoppers, moths and other advanced insects)
SubclassPTERYGOTA (bees, beetles, dragonflies, flies, grasshoppers, moths and other winged insects)
ClassINSECTA (true insects)
SubphylumHEXAPODA (insects and other 6-legged organisms)
PhylumARTHROPODA (arthropods)
SuperphylumECDYSOZOA (skin shedders)
CladeBilateria (bilaterally symmetrical animals)
SubkingdomEUMETAZOA (metazoans)
KingdomANIMALIA (animals)
DomainEukaryota (eukaryotes)
LifeBIOTA (living things)

Identification Works

AuthorYearTitleSource
Austen, E.E. 1906 *** Illustrations of British blood-sucking flies ***(Superseded) 74pp, British Museum (Natural History)

HIPPOBOSCIDAE (“Forest” flies, flat flies, bird flies, keds) may also be included in identification literature listed under the following higher taxa:

NBNNBN (data.nbn.org.uk) has a distribution map for HIPPOBOSCIDAE (“Forest” flies, flat flies, bird flies, keds)
BioInfoBioInfo (www.bioinfo.org.uk) has 80 host/parasite/foodplant and/or other relationships for HIPPOBOSCIDAE (“Forest” flies, flat flies, bird flies, keds)

The adults are ectoparasites of birds and mammals, feeding on blood. The eggs hatch inside the female who retains the larvae until they are full grown. A single larva is raised at a time, fed from a special "milk gland". The lava pupates shortly after it is born.

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