The species was first described from Java and occurs across mainland and island South-east Asia.

[1] The species is introduced to Australia where it has a wide distribution, inhabiting tropical areas of 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.

In 1928-1930, Australian entomologists Ian Murray Mackerras and Mabel Josephine Mackerras did substantial research into buffalo fly, increasing knowledge into methods of their control.

This article related to members of the fly family Muscidae is a stub.