The Mystery Insect

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HobleytheTB

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In the last few weeks on 3 separate occasions, I've had multiple horses react suddenly and violently to some sort of insect bite or sting. It's always happened in the same exact area. I'll try to attach photos of the bite/ sting on one horse. This only seemed to come up a few days later, but it had a black type centre to it. The horse hasn't been bothered by it following the initial incident. Screenshot_20251014_121104_Gallery.jpgOn all 3 occasions, on 2 different horses, I've nearly become unseated due to the extreme reaction. Multiple other times I've hacked through this area without incident, and I've not once been able to see or hear any kind of insect. If anyone has any ideas I'd be very grateful!
 
This time of year, similarly extreme pain reaction, and a gentle horse not prone to over-reaction. Three years it happened, and with multiple bites.
Each time it was what I believe is a deer cleg. They fly in, settle down and lose their wings, leaving them looking like a huge pig louse. Yes as gross as it sounds. This is the only horse from several where it settled in, we think the others may have been bitten but rejected. The bites were nasty, went very crusty and sore for ages. I ended up scouring her in louse powder and saw it drop off each time! They moved in round her flank every time too.
 
I’ve never seen a hole like that created by an insect bite from insects available in UK at this time…happy to be corrected though. I wonder if cauda equina is right which is a bit distressing…
 
Google ‘BB gun wound’ images, to see if the size on your horse resembles similar to images. I’ve just had a look and there are similarities, they are fairly small dents, but a fair few have reddening. Whereas yours looks less sore, but it may be due to location on the head.

The deer fly season has usually ended by now and they’re the only bites I’ve known to cause an obvious mark/swelling quite quickly.
Horse flies prefer to go for big hot areas of horses, especially under belly/groin area, rather than face. Although when they’re raging in season as a swarm they’ll go for head and neck, but you do easily see them.

Ticks can cause hair loss and aggravation - but generally don’t cause such a distressed reaction in horses when biting-on, as you describe.

To rule out a BB pellet, a vet xray is best. It’s worth ruling-out as it’s near the teeth. It’s conspicuous you say it happens always the exact same area on hacks, which suggests either a nest you’re disturbing en route (like wasps but you’d see and hear them I think), or a culprit with a BB gun who unfortunately could be aiming at passing animals. Is it near a residential area/gardens, or completely away from any houses?
 
HobleytheTB said:
In the last few weeks on 3 separate occasions, I've had multiple horses react suddenly and violently to some sort of insect bite or sting. It's always happened in the same exact area. I'll try to attach photos of the bite/ sting on one horse. This only seemed to come up a few days later, but it had a black type centre to it. The horse hasn't been bothered by it following the initial incident. View attachment 167861On all 3 occasions, on 2 different horses, I've nearly become unseated due to the extreme reaction. Multiple other times I've hacked through this area without incident, and I've not once been able to see or hear any kind of insect. If anyone has any ideas I'd be very grateful!
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I'm not convinced that's a bite either.... It hasn't gone down until anything any of the 'sucky' fellas can get nutrition from and it's just too perfectly round for a general chomper's mouth parts I think especially considering the hair removed round it. Very odd place for a bite as well.
 
My old horse used to have an extreme reaction to deer keds (louse fly) crawling on him. It was only some years not every year. Other horses with me were either not bothered by them or didn’t attract them but mine would plunge and buck to the point I would get off and he would continue plunging around which was fun to lead home. Never saw a wound though. Didn’t know what it was until I managed to catch one and googled it.
 
I had a horse with what looks identical to that, complete with hole, and another smaller mark 6 inches away, complete mystery

I did wonder if it was a hornet

Now he had not been out of the field, and I live in the middle of 40 acres no access to anyone else, it was summer last year

It looked bad but healed OK

hes horse that needs a fly rug and was wearing one at the time of the sting
 
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