Subject: Is it a Fly?
Geographic location of the bug: Madison, Florida
Date: 08/13/2021
Time: 06:56 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: Can’t find anything like it in my bug books.
Have not found on any web searches. Is it a fly or a moth?
How you want your letter signed: Farmer Bob
Dear Farmer Bob,
This is definitely a fly and the large, close set eyes indicate a male. We were nearly certain this is a Horse Fly but we cannot ever remember seeing a white Horse Fly. Our web search quickly brought up a FlickR posting of Leucotabanus annulatus. We then confirmed its identity on BugGuide and learned the preferred habitat is “places where there are trees and rotting wood.” We are very excited as this is a new species for our site and it is a magnificent species. As an aside, female Horse Flies suck the blood of warm blooded animals and they will bite humans if there is no other source of blood. Males do not bite, do not feed on blood and pose no threat to humans.