Do you know what it is?

[Staghound]

I just wondered how many people could ID this critter from this close-up. Clue; there are not many insects I will kill on sight but this is one!

I'll give the answer in a day or two.

 

[Bernie Garland]

Wasp perhaps?

Berenie

 

[Matt Weir]

Gotta be a housefly

 

[Gwhtbushcraft]

bluebottle?

 

[robin wood]

going by those huge eyes fly family seems likely, I am going for horsefly.

 

[British Red]

haha the mini nosferatu

 

[robin wood]

looks like I was wrong this is a horsefly

second thought was maybe mosquito but here she is

looking forward to finding out.

 

[decorum]

Not an from visual i.d, but Britain + kill on sight?

Another vote for horse-fly.

 

[John Fenna]

I vote for a clegg!

 

[Toddy]

I vote for a clegg!

Me too

cheers,
Toddy

 

[robin wood]

Ah now maybe I was right first time, think the pic I posted first was a different horse fly, perhaps american. Anyway here is cleg, neddy or whatever you call him, I agree kill on site. Where mossies suck blood these guys eat flesh.

 

[Bernie Garland]

Can i change to cleg,John looks to be the winner

Bernie

 

[fred gordon]

I vote for a clegg!

I think so. Got to be a clegg

 

[fred gordon]

Try this for size! What do you think? This is a cleg. I hate them, they draw blood, lots of it.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25212549@N03/2570335498/in/photostream/

 

[Matt Weir]

Try this for size! What do you think? This is a cleg. I hate them, they draw blood, lots of it.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25212549@N03/2570335498/in/photostream/

Where's the :shudder: smiley?

 

[hiraeth]

Just a guess but what about a Bott Fly ?

 

[Staghound]

It's a bit tricky because common/English names vary from place to place, but as I understand it horseflies (such as Robin's first picture) are family Tabanidae whereas clegs my pic and Robin's last are Haematopota pluvialis, equally evil little beggers and equally deserving of death IMHO.

Steve

 

[firecrest]

I dont think We call them clegs round are way.

 

[firecrest]

As yes, wiki says cleg fly IS a horse fly.

 

[Staghound]

It's a bit tricky because common/English names vary from place to place, but as I understand it horseflies (such as Robin's first picture) are family Tabanidae whereas clegs my pic and Robin's last are Haematopota pluvialis, equally evil little beggers and equally deserving of death IMHO.

Steve

oops got that wrong, apparently horseflies, deerflies and clegs are all Tabanidae, but strictly speaking horsefly refers to the geni Atylotus, Hybomitra and Tabanus, deerfly to the genus Chrysops and clegs are genus Haematopota and I think this one is the species Haematopota pluvialis. any entomologists out there feel free to correct me.

It does seem that the names cleg and horsefly are used fairly indiscriminately for any of these beasts depending on where you go.

Whatever you call them they're vicious!