During my trip to the Scottish Highlands and the Lake District I managed to take some photos of some insects I have never seen before.
This is the dark giant horsefly Tabanus sudeticus – a female nearly an inch long! Fortunately it prefers the blood of cattle and horses to people. Saw one individual at Castle Urquart on Loch Ness and this one was taken on the National Trust property Aira Falls beside Ullswater.
Substantially bigger than the horseflies (normally Tabanus bromius and autumnalis) that I have seen before
It has been recorded in Devon and on Dartmoor but I have never seen it.
You might also be interested in Matthew Oates’ article on biting flies – see here!
Second up is a beetle – one of the chafers Trichius fasciatus – known also as the bee beetle or bee chafer. Its one of those animals you see in the books because it is so spectacular – finally I have seen one in the wild. Saw it at Loch Achilty, north west of Inverness in the Highlands. A Forestry Commission site.
A really striking beetle with long brown hairs on the thorax.
Only really recorded in the UK in the Highlands and Wales.
Finally another fly and another big species – its called Tachina grossa – or the yellow faced fly. It is very striking and large – nearly 3/4 inch long.
The female lays here eggs on the larvae of other insect larvae – often an oak eggar moth – which the hatched maggots then devour and kill!
A more cosmopolitan species – again on Devon and Dartmoor – one to look out for – unmistakable.
