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black fly/bee thing
Hey,
This insect came in through an open door today in League City, Texas. It buzzed like a huge bee but looked more like a giant fly. It wouldn’t hold still very well for pictures but was pretty much all black….. body, wings, legs… pure black. It was approximately 1.5 inches long and had a huge mouth or nose area that appeared to expand in width and then be slim again = like a point you wouldn’t want to be poked with. Thanks for the help.
Leslie

Hi Leslie,
We are checking with Eric Eaton to see if he can identify the species of Black Horse Fly you photographed. It is in the genus Tabanus and females are blood suckers that bite painfully.

Update from Eric Eaton: (10/16/2005)
“Pretty sure this IS T. atratus. Don’t know of any other very large, all-black species. This one is a female (males have HUGE eyes that meet in the middle (top) of the head. This species is thought to be the Tlue-Tail Fly of folksong fame. Eric”

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