A horse fly is a type of insect and a member of the family Tabanidae (order Diptera), but more specifically are any member of the genus "Tabanus". These stout flies, as small as a housefly or as large as a bumblebee; their metallic or iridescent eyes meet dorsally in the male and are separate in the female. Gad-fly, a nickname, may refer either to the fly’s roving habits or to its mouthparts, which resemble a wedge-shaped miner’s tool. 