swarm of insects on our wall

[magic cochin]

Can anyone identify these?



We discovered them low down on the outside wall of our house yesterday at dusk. There was a large mass of them, 30cm x 5cm and several smaller clusters along the grooves of the plasterwork. They are still on the wall this morning, but now starting to disperse.

We live in SW Suffolk.

Are they a kind of midge?

C

[Laurence Clemons]

They are scatopsid flies.

[magic cochin]

Thank you Laurence

That was one on my short list after studying the insect books last night, the book mentioned "entering houses and crawling over windows" but not that fact that they did it in large swarms!

C

[magic cochin]

Do they bite or spread diseases (like blue tongue) ?

Or are they a non-biting species?

C

[Laurence Clemons]

Originally Posted by magic cochin

Do they bite or spread diseases (like blue tongue) ?

Or are they a non-biting species?

C

They do not bite nor, to my knowledge spread diseases. However many species develop in dung and compost so you wouldn't want them walking over your food.