[10] The mesonotum is grayish and bears on the top five indistinct longitudinal lines, while the abdomen is black, hairy and carries three rows of yellowish spots.

The females of these flies are bloodsuckers, feeding on mammalian blood, mainly cattle and horses, but they can also bite humans.

The activity of these horseflies takes place in plain daylight, preferably in hot and muggy days and in the absence of wind.

This species is widespread in most of Europe, in the eastern Palearctic realm, in North Africa, and in the Near East.

These horseflies prefer open spaces, such as hills or sparsely wooded areas.