Zany eyes (fly)

[bugmeister]

I have no idea what this is, it landed on my hand this morning and when I was sure it wasn't going to bite me I took its picture.

 

Looking more closely revealed some very delicate patterns on the wings and those crazy zany eyes.

 

Canon EOS 5D mkII, Sigma 105mm f2.8 @ f8 @ 1/250s (heavily cropped)

[Paul]

I suspect that this is a male horse fly.

 

The bite from horseflies can be quite painful, especially considering the light, agile, and airborne nature of the fly. Unlike insects which surreptitiously puncture the skin with needle-like organs, female horseflies have specially adapted mouth-parts which they use to rip and/or slice flesh apart. This causes the blood to seep out as the horsefly licks it up.

 

Swat it next time 

 

 

Paul.

[FUJI]

Yes!

It looks like a Horse Fly to me too.......what a fantastic shot Bugsy........ It will be remarkable if you got away without being bitten, especially as it was on your hand long enough for you to aim then shoot.

They are noted for their almost painless bite, but it is too late by the time a human victim notices.....one thing in our favour though, is that they are stupidly slow to take off if noticed, an instant smart slap will see the biter bit, to be a Biter no more.

It is well worth Googling them, after you read about them, you wont want one near you again......they love, hot thundery weather, when both humans and horses sweat.

FUJI

[bugmeister]

Just checked my hand and there's definitely no bite although it was there for a few pictures before I blew it away

 

It was fairly small (~10mm) so maybe it was still a youngster and thought my old skin too tough.

 

I still like the patterns, even if it is a bit of a nasty.

[JohnP]

Great capture Bugs... it looks like Haematopota pluvialis to me.

[Black Pearl]

Great capture but I think my first reaction would have been to flatten it.

[JohnP]

Great capture but I think my first reaction would have been to flatten it.

 

Why would you want to flatten something you know nothing about? It could just as easily have been a beneficial insect... like a pollinator. Without them we would all die, think before you kill anything... even wasps do far more good than harm.

[Black Pearl]

Well I had intended that comment to be funny but guess I was mistaken.....back to the knock-knock jokes.

[Heather]

well as i get bitten by these little nasties on a regular basis i would have flattened it !!  the bites are nasty and usually make me swell up alarmingly. Also you can easily get cellulitus (sp?) from them which makes you swell up and you get hot and the area gets solid, if you dont get antibiotics quickly you can become very ill and even die  apparantly. Several of my fella dog walkers have ended up down the hospital and one or two on intravenous drips of antibiotics through being bitten by these little fellas. 

 

Having said all that i love his zany eyeballs lol

[Terry]

Fantastic shot. Love those eyes

[FUJI]

Just its Latin name is enough to bring you up sharp...................Haematopota pluvialis........makes you realise it is something nasty to do with blood:

 

It could be the reason you weren't bitten is that your one is a Male........only Females bite!

 

See here....

 

http://www.naturespot.org.uk/species/notch-horned-cleg

 

FUJI

[bugmeister]

It could be the reason you weren't bitten is that your one is a Male........only Females bite!

 

FUJI

hmmm     (resisting the temptation to say anything )

[annie]

Fantastic..love it

 

Looks like a Cleg Fly to me...

[JohnP]

This is interesting. http://influentialpoints.com/Gallery/Horseflies_Clegs_and_Deerflies.htm

[annie]

That is Haematopota crassicornis..............It's a common and wide spread horse fly that is known as a 'Cleg Fly'...

 

As in all the Horse fly family only the female bites..

[Leon]

them little blighters are always biting me when I'm bug hunting...... great shot though

[Korky]

What a great thread...... Another cracking shot from Bugs (I'm continually gobsmacked by your work) and a lovely comic bit in the middle. I don't often LOL, but I fair old LOLLED at this one!

 

Well done, Bugs!

 

Korky