Horsefly

This is one photo I've wanted to take for ages!

I've even gone as far as asking friends with horses to capture a Horsefly for me. Not one was willing. :)

Called a Clegg in Scotland, this one creature I grew up in fear of !

There are a number of species in the UK, each easily identifiable by the patterns in their eyes. This one with a single band over the eye is Tabanus bromius or the Band-eyed Brown Horsefly. With no livestock left on the farm, they seem to think I'm the next best thing to a horse. I've captured six today. Normally they leave me alone but if I do get bitten the effects are very severe.

The eye colours fade very rapidly after death so they have to be photographed quickly. I admit that an insect was harmed in the making of this shot!