Bee or Fly - BugGuide.Net

I don't know about it being a

I don't know about it being a bot fly, the bot flies I have seen around horses have yellow on them and look more like a bee. This thing was about 1/2 the size of the picture huge!. It definatly bit my grandson leaving 2 fang like holes and it bled. looks a little purplish today where he was bit. Could it be some sort of horse fly other than the bot

… sharon55, 25 September, 2007 - 12:14pm

Looks

Like a bot as noted below. They have no mouthparts as adults and are harmless. They are generally very fast and skittish. They don't lay their eggs directly on human skin so it may have just been perching. They would be big and frightening to a child and, frankly, most adults. I have seen about three adults in my life of bug chasing.

… Herschel Raney, 25 September, 2007 - 8:38am

Cuterebra sp.

This is indeed one of the rodent or rabbit bots. Obviously, something with no mouth can't bite. Perhaps a mosquito landed on the lad at the same time?

… Eric R. Eaton, 25 September, 2007 - 1:34pm

Bot Fly?

My initial thought was bot fly, but I don't believe they bite (or sting), although they do have a nasty habit of parasitizing mammals.

… Tom, 24 September, 2007 - 10:33pm

Bot fly, seconded

I don't know much more than that. Some info here: http://bugguide.net/node/view/25501

… Ron Hemberger, 24 September, 2007 - 11:11pm

It's a fly, and I can appreci

It's a fly, and I can appreciate a Horsefly bite. Although I'm not sure that's what this is.

… atrox, 24 September, 2007 - 8:50pm