Haematobia exigua

Description

Haematobia exigua, its common name being buffalo fly, is a fly of the family Muscidae. The species is vastly present in Australia, inhabiting Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland and New South Wales. It is widely considered a pest, and continues to cause much damage to livestock; as they are of the genus Haematobia, buffalo flies must feed off the blood of mammals to survive, cutting through the skin with two separate mouthparts. The entomologist Ian Murray Mackerras did substantial work in trying to eradicate the problem by introducing parasites.