Cleg or Horse Fly ?

Ollie · #1 (**permalink**) 13-07-2008, 03:28 PM

Is this a Cleg or Horse fly or am I completely on the wrong track. Taken at the Thursley Common meet 12th July 2008

Thanks
Roger

mh68 · #2 (**permalink**) 13-07-2008, 03:37 PM

Looks like one of the Robber Flies Roger, couldnt tell you which species but i`m sure someone will

Mark H

oxycera · #3 (**permalink**) 13-07-2008, 06:43 PM

It is a robber-fly but it is difficult to id from a photo. I think there is a strong chance that it is Eutolmus rufibarbis but it could well be a Machimus of some sort.

Ollie · #4 (**permalink**) 13-07-2008, 09:15 PM

Thanks for your help Mark and Oxycera
Roger

ron1863 · #5 (**permalink**) 13-07-2008, 09:30 PM

Roger, I thought that a cleg and a Horse Fly were the same insect, well up here they are.

Ron

Tormentil · #6 (**permalink**) 13-07-2008, 09:32 PM

Whatever it is, its a great shot.

Ollie · #7 (**permalink**) 13-07-2008, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ron1863

Roger, I thought that a cleg and a Horse Fly were the same insect, well up here they are.

Ron

They most likely are Ron, Iv'e always known them as Horse flies. I will shut up Ron because I'm showing just how little I know about flies.

birds, butterflies and dragonflies I aren't so bad but anything smaller and I'm hopeless. Suppose I should find the time to learn my smaller insects better
Roger

Ollie · #8 (**permalink**) 13-07-2008, 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tormentil

Whatever it is, its a great shot.

Thank you Ben. It did turn out better than I expected because the flash batteries had run out and silly me hadn't noticed.
Roger

oxycera · #9 (**permalink**) 14-07-2008, 07:18 AM

A cleg is a horsefly belonging to the genus Haematopota, at least that's what I've always thought, may be different elsewhere.

sasquatch · #10 (**permalink**) 14-07-2008, 07:49 AM

I cant add much to the debate about species, i hadn't even heard of cleg fly's or cleggies as we call them untill working in a particularly wet (even for scotland,) woodland last summer, I do know however that its the females that bite you, for such a big fly they land silently on you for a feast, and slowly fly off satisfied, leaving you with, in my opinion one of the itchiest and most irrating bites its possible to recieve from british insects, im working in a wood thats full of them right now, and i just know im going to get a massive red swollen cleggie bite this week. (im getting married on friday.)