Large 'blackfly' ID ?

[exo]

Sorry about the poor photos,
I think I've mistakenly double-added these to the wrong picture library, sorry.

It landed on my arm so unfortunately you get to view my hairs as well.

Looks like a very large blackfly to me,

About 6mm long including wings, so much larger than an aphid-type fly.
The middle picture shows it's got heavy duty piercing / sucking mouth-parts (?)

Not noticed this type around the pond before,
it was very clumsy but managed to take of eventually.

Any chance it can be ID'd from fuzzy photos ?

[Jason Green]

Evening Exo,

It looks like a winged Giant Willow Aphid, I believe our biggest.

Take care,

Jason

[exo]

Thanks Jason,
it's a bit of a localised pest then ?

Strange how a 'type' of form of insect can be recognised,
not sure why I even mentioned aphids tbh,
must have been keying off some characteristic I guess.

[Jason Green]

They have a pretty distinctive habitus, I find. Almost instantly recogniseable as such, with Blackfly being - a black aphid!

[exo]

habitus as in 'body build, general appearance' - yes I guess, had to look that up

Anyway not really too exciting an encounter, just I've never consciously seen one.