Horse guard wasp

[ILuvCowparsely]

There is me thinking it was a large brown horsefly as per previous post or queen wasp - instead it eats horse flies so we better not kill them.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse_guard_wasp

http://bugeric.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/wasp-wednesday-horse-guard.html

So please peeps leave them alone, as I now know why we had less horse flies on our yard (not out hacking)

 

[Auslander]

Are you sure that's what you saw? Horse Guard wasps are native to the US, and they're black and white, not brown.

 

[ester]

Yes it's come a long way (Eastern USA) and is an alien species if your ID was correct!

 

[Pen]

Clever insects - 'They can even fly backwards in front of a moving horse'. Pity they are not in the UK or do you mean you have spotted one here?

 

[ester]

There are a lot of different species of Tabanidae (horse flies) some are even quite pretty!

 

[rara007]

Probably worth reporting?

 

[ester]

only if you caught it in a jar, the bug gurus can spend a long time identifying things even when they have them dead and still!

 

[rara007]

There'll be plenty around if they're making an impact on horse fly numbers

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

we def have had very very few horse flies on the yard and we did kill 3 thinking they were wasps and the queen. Out hacking they are big horsflies but round the stables and fields we have seen around 5 horseflies only.

If we see another we will try photograph it

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Clever insects - 'They can even fly backwards in front of a moving horse'. Pity they are not in the UK or do you mean you have spotted one here?

We have killed 3 one on the yard yesterday before my livery googled it and had 2 in the house, again killed as thought it was the queen wasp

 

[cremedemonthe]

Perhaps it came through the Channel Tunnel along with the other migrants

 

[Spreebok]

Will most likely be one of these giant gits:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabanus_bovinus

Hateful things, absolutely huge and doggedly persistent!

 

[ester]

Perhaps it came through the Channel Tunnel along with the other migrants

along the atlantic telegraph cable surely?