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| 1 | 2 |  » Stats |
Members: 50,153
Threads: 82,335
Posts: 853,194
Top Poster: glsammy (15,069)
| | Welcome to our newest member, Xalrahc | |  | 
17-08-2010, 02:59 PM
| | New Member | | Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Near Fen Drayton, Cambridge
Posts: 4
| | | Unidentified Diptera type
Hi all, this is my first posting to this forum.
Last sunday I found this beastie resting on a shelf in my greenhouse. First glance I thought it was a Hornet but looked closer and realised it wasn't a member of the Wasp family. Also it was highly agressive and tried to bite as I approached it. Nothing so ego deflating as screaming like a child as I ran from the greenhouse. 
It has biting mouthparts but it lacks the colourful compound eyes of a Horsefly. I managed to trap it unharmed in a jar so I could take reference photos and video as none of my insect or UK wildlife books had images that resembled this insect. Why is it that some guidebooks use black & white photos?!
Anyone know what it is?
(Insect released unharmed after photos and video taken)
Regards
DocBrown     |
17-08-2010, 03:20 PM
|  | Dame Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: North Kent
Posts: 9,725
| | | Re: Unidentified Diptera type
Volucella zonaria. A very large and beautiful hoverfly. It will not bite you. It's cunningly disguised to look like it could though. Enjoy having it around.
__________________
The female of the species is more deadly than the male.:p |
17-08-2010, 03:28 PM
| | New Member | | Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Near Fen Drayton, Cambridge
Posts: 4
| | | Re: Unidentified Diptera type
Many thanks for reply.
I suppose my reaction to it flying at me was based on ''finely honed survival instinct''.  (blokish attempt to justify irrational fear of looking silly running from a harmless fly) Had some run-ins with Horseflies and once bitten twice shy.
Thanks again for the info.
Doc |
17-08-2010, 03:32 PM
| | Dame Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: North Kent
Posts: 9,725
| | | Re: Unidentified Diptera type
I can go along with running from horseflies Doc, they've had their fair share of me this year. I bare the scars to prove it.
__________________
The female of the species is more deadly than the male.:p | | |
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