Philoliche
| Philoliche | |
|---|---|
| Philoliche sp., south India | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Diptera |
| Family: | Tabanidae |
| Subfamily: | Pangoniinae |
| Tribe: | Philolichini |
| Genus: | Philoliche Wiedemann, 1820 |
| Type species | |
| Tabanus rostratus Linnaeus, 1764 | |
| Synonyms | |
Philoliche is a genus of long-tongued horse-flies found in the Old World. It is placed in the tribe Philolichini. The clade is thought to have originated about 40 million years ago and the 120 or more species are thought to have originated in Africa and expanded into Asia. The plants that they pollinate tend to have elongate corolla tubes.
The species Philoliche longirostris is noted for having the longest extension of the labium, used by males and females to obtain nectar. Females obtain blood from vertebrates using the shorter feeding tube (or syntrophium) that is hidden at the base of the labium.