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Could anyone confirm the identity of this largish Tabanus. I was thinking autumnalis.

Location: Peterborough, UK
Date: 26 June2007
Habitat: scrub and trees on edge of grassy disused brickworks
Size: c.30mm long

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Second shot

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Finally head on.

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30mm is getting awfully big for T autumnalis I think. The biggest I have seen is c25mm. Also the base of the antennae seem quite pale, but it looks like the abdominal pattern is right, which I think is the most important character and there is no eye banding, so I think I would go for T autumnalis too.

Anyway, I am sure Theo will set us right if it is something else.

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Thanks Susan. Worth noting my size estimate may be on the generous side. They look jolly large and it's hard to be objective on size.

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well, i heard of people estimating Volucella zonaria as a fly of minimum 5cm so yours isn't too bad.... ;)

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Right. It's Tabanus autumnalis. The third antennel segment is completely black, so I don't see a problem there. The second is not, but that's OK. Moreover, the abdominal pattern is unique (in itself a near unique feature in Tabanus).
Autumnalis is big, but it ends at 22 mm. Sudeticus gets 5 mm. bigger, which is even to the naked eye much bigger.
To see even bigger Tabanus, really 30 mm., go to the USA (T. americanus). Looks almost like a bird.


Theo

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Thanks Theo. Shame my size estimate was so far off.

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NO shame, visual illusion I would call it.
The correction factor 2/3 is actually rather average.

Theo