What the flying F£&k is that!??

[Nurburgsingh]

So this thing has been buzzing about in my garden for the last couple of days… any ideas on what it is?
Shall I ignore it or burn my house and garden to the ground?

Is a good 2cm

[APontus]

Looks like a hornet. Best start with fire, just to be safe.

A large one (this one looked more similar to a wasp, but about 3x the size) landed on our tent when we were packing up in the Lakes last week.

[breamster]

Is it a horsefly? Not great if it is.

[APontus]

Is it a hornet mimic hoverfly?

[Nurburgsingh]

APontus said:

Looks like a hornet. Best start with fire, just to be safe.

A large one (this one looked more similar to a wasp, but about 3x the size) landed on our tent when we were packing up in the Lakes last week.

Don’t hornets have “deely-boppers” on their heads like wasps?

[OpenToeSlipper]

APontus said:

Is it a hornet mimic hoverfly?

That's what Google Lens says it is.

[breamster]

OpenToeSlipper said:

That's what Google Lens says it is.

That looks right to me in hindsight. Not bitey or stingy. Result.

[Nurburgsingh]

APontus said:

Is it a hornet mimic hoverfly?

Aha - it appear so

https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/i...

Phew!! I can put the petrol back in the cars and put the lighter away!!!

[mike74]

breamster said:

Is it a horsefly? Not great if it is.

No, Horseflies are crafty bds as they look very non-descript and unthreatening, they're just a drab brown colour and only a bit bigger than an ordinary housefly.

[Nurburgsingh]

Wow natures amazing….

Harmless thing that looks like a bad ass mofo killer so that it can go about it’s business without getting eaten.

[OpenToeSlipper]

Nurburgsingh said:

Wow natures amazing….

Harmless thing that looks like a bad ass mofo killer so that it can go about it’s business without getting eaten.

Poor beastie nearly got roasted though!

[Mr Pointy]

It's spooky, we had exactly the same question a couple of weeks ago:

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

They're getting a round a bit so I wonder if there's more of them these days?

[Evanivitch]

OpenToeSlipper said:

APontus said:

Is it a hornet mimic hoverfly?

That's what Google Lens says it is.

Google Lens always useful!

[HRL]

Personal experience says that’s not a horsefly.

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

This is a motherfking horsefly…

[so called]

HRL said:

Personal experience says that’s not a horsefly.

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

This is a motherfking horsefly…

HRL knows what a Horsefly is.

HRL said:

Cut the grass yesterday and got assaulted by horseflies. About 10 welts on each leg, half a dozen or so on each arm, plus another 10 on my back. Guess that’ll teach me for mowing the grass topless and in shorts!

Been fighting the urge to scratch them for the past 24 hours but was wondering if anyone knew of anything that would reduce the itchiness?

I gather it’ll take 2-3 days before they start going down unfortunately.