1.
horsefly; gadfly; deerfly
A large biting fly that feeds on the blood of mammals. Common in rural and mountainous areas of Japan during summer.
Often written in hiragana or katakana (アブ) rather than the kanji 虻. Horseflies are a common nuisance in rural Japan, especially near water and livestock. Their bites are painful and can cause significant swelling.
The proverb 虻蜂取らず (literally "catching neither the horsefly nor the bee") means trying to do two things at once and failing at both — equivalent to the English "between two stools."