What the hell bit me!?

[andy400]

Out for a walk last Sunday, sudden sharp pain in the forearm. Looked down to see (briefly, before I flicked it off) a long, thin black insect - about 8-9mm long - with speckled wings. Don't recall ever seeing one like that before, let along getting a painful bite from it. Bloody bite is still painful and itchy 5 days later, so it's a vicious little bugger, whatever it is.

Grr!

(Should I die, farewell PHers, it's been super...)

[sleep envy]

it didn't bite, it laid its eggs in your arm

give it another few days and they'll hatch

Edited by sleep envy on Friday 4th September 08:41

[Gargamel]

Horse fly

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Horse_fly_T...

[Halb]

Was it this?
?

[andy400]

Gargamel said:

Horse fly

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Horse_fly_T...

Nope. I am acquainted with Mr Horsefly, it wasn't that particular nasty.

[andy400]

Halb said:

Was it this?
?

What in God's name is that!!???

[Silent1]

Parasitic wasp?

[strudel]

It's a fictional sci-fi bug.

[Landlord]

Gargamel said:

Horse fly

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Horse_fly_T...

Yep. Horse fly. fkers. I react really badly to them and itch for a good week or more after a bite. I still have a mark on my forearm from one back in May.

Apparently, they live off horse st, hence the reaction to them. Farmers who drink at my pub say they take anti-histamines daily just in case.

incase of horse fly bites, not incase my beer makes them ill. Which it doesn't. It's great.

[andy400]

Landlord said:

Gargamel said:

Horse fly

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Horse_fly_T...

Yep. Horse fly. fkers. I react really badly to them and itch for a good week or more after a bite. I still have a mark on my forearm from one back in May.

Apparently, they live off horse st, hence the reaction to them. Farmers who drink at my pub say they take anti-histamines daily just in case.

incase of horse fly bites, not incase my beer makes them ill. Which it doesn't. It's great.

Waddyamean 'Yep'!? That's not what bit me. You weren't even there!

Were you?

[Puggit]

One of these?

[tribbles]

andy400 said:

Halb said:

Was it this?
?

What in God's name is that!!???

Someone hasn't watched (or remembered) Stargate Atlantis

[andy400]

tribbles said:

andy400 said:

Halb said:

Was it this?
?

What in God's name is that!!???

Someone hasn't watched (or remembered) Stargate Atlantis

Most definitely haven't watched.

[interloper]

6-8cm long? From that description it sounds more like a damsel or dragon fly but I don't think either of those bite?

Certainly don't believe Horse flys can get much over 1cm in length, if that!

[andy400]

interloper said:

6-8cm long? From that description it sounds more like a damsel or dragon fly but I don't think either of those bite?

Certainly don't believe Horse flys can get much over 1cm in length, if that!

6-8cm!? Where did you get that from?

[kambites]

I don't know what it is but I got bitten by one a few months ago and I don't seem to have died. It was swollen and itchy for about three weeks though, and I can still see a red spot where it bit me.

[interloper]

andy400 said:

interloper said:

6-8cm long? From that description it sounds more like a damsel or dragon fly but I don't think either of those bite?

Certainly don't believe Horse flys can get much over 1cm in length, if that!

6-8cm!? Where did you get that from?

mm-cm its too darned early! being attacked by an 8cm insect does sound pretty unlikely in the UK!

Edited by interloper on Friday 4th September 09:17

[andy400]

interloper said:

andy400 said:

interloper said:

6-8cm long? From that description it sounds more like a damsel or dragon fly but I don't think either of those bite?

Certainly don't believe Horse flys can get much over 1cm in length, if that!

6-8cm!? Where did you get that from?

Numeric dyslexia! Sorry, its too early! 8-9cm? I guess that's still Dragon fly-ish territory but that's frikin big. At that size maybe it was actually a blue tit!

Not just number dyslexia - it says mm.......

[interloper]

See my edit above!

[ratbane]

Landlord said:

Gargamel said:

Horse fly

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Horse_fly_T...

Yep. Horse fly. fkers. I react really badly to them and itch for a good week or more after a bite. I still have a mark on my forearm from one back in May.

Apparently, they live off horse st, hence the reaction to them. Farmers who drink at my pub say they take anti-histamines daily just in case.

incase of horse fly bites, not incase my beer makes them ill. Which it doesn't. It's great.

They live off cattle and horse blood mostly.

The nasty reaction is due to the fact that they spit anti-coagulant and some of the blood from whatever manky animal they last attacked into you, before sucking.

I know, cos I have pretty severe reactions to the bug*ers. They are pretty thick mind, and it's best waiting till they land on you to kill them, rather than flapping arms.