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Horse fly ATTACK


Horse fly ATTACK
Photo Information
Copyright: AC van Dyk (Dyker) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 142 W: 0 N: 59] (170)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-02-26
Categories: Insects
Camera: Canon 300D, Sigma 70-300 DG Macro
Exposure: f/5.6, 1/250 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2007-03-10 9:30
Viewed: 1153
Points: 12
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Horse fly
Rhigioglossa spp

I have allowed myself to become a victim (and in so doing paid in blood) all for the sake of TN.

I was hunting for insects in the vicinity of a little pond in the bushes just behind my home, when suddenly I felt a burning sensation in my right leg. Looking down I saw this opportunistic “vampire” sitting on my leg and having herself a nice meal. (At least I think my blood could be considered a nice meal.) My natural and spontaneous reaction was to shoo the unwelcome visitor away, but then I realised that this is a good opportunity to shoot the pest for a TN posting. Since I was standing with the camera in my hand, why not first take a photo or two and then pay the little thieve with its deserved reward by killing it while it still had its nice fat stomach filled with my blood. Ha-ha, that ought to teach the little bugger a lesson.

Afterwards I was rather sorry, not for killing the pest, but for allowing it to feast on me because that bite ITCHED and was a nasty discomfort for nearly two weeks.

Classification: Diptera – Brachycera – Tabanomorpha – Tabanidae.

Identification: Medium-sized (wingspan 20 millimetres), with iridescent green eyes, clear wings, and grey-and black-striped abdomen.

Biology: A few are blood-suckers on humans, especially bothersome in spring. Both sexes frequently dusted with pollen after feeding on daisies.

Habitat: Grassland and bushveld.

Status: Pests.

What Wikipedia says about Horse flies: Horse flies (family Tabanidae) are among the world's largest flies. These flies are often considered pests because of the painful bites that many of the species can inflict on animals and humans. They are also important pollinators of flowers, especially in South Africa. Tabanids occur worldwide, being absent only at extreme northern and southern latitudes.

Horse flies are classified as true flies. There are approximately 3,000 species of horse flies known worldwide.

The two best-known types are the common horse flies, genus Tabanus Linnaeus, 1758 and the deerflies, genus Chrysops Meigen, 1802 also known as banded horse flies because of their coloring. The "Blue Tail Fly" in the eponymous song was probably a tabanid common to the southeastern United States.

Adult horse flies feed on nectar and sometimes pollen. Females usually also feed on blood which aids in egg development. Males lack the necessary mouth parts (mandibles) for blood feeding.

The bite from a larger specimen can be singularly painful. Horse flies have mandibles like tiny serrated scimitars, which they use to rip and/or slice flesh apart. This causes the blood to seep out as the horse fly licks it up. They may even carve a chunk completely out of the victim, to be digested at its leisure. When attacking humans they usually prefer the buttocks, legs, and feet, though they have been known to attack arms as well.
GLEM, Shoot_Score, Olof_O, loot has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • GLEM Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 524 W: 87 N: 693] (5739)
  • [2007-03-10 9:35]

hi,
très drôle la note, c'est une mouche dracula :)
Bonne prise de vue, pas facile à réaliser sur soi sans bouger, bravo. Bon détails et bonnes couleurs.

tfs

What, no notes about the Bushveld this poor fly has to contend with? Hierdie mooi foto! Weird colour on that fly...
couldn't be what it is drinking? Turning green and that!

Tfs, Jay

Oi
Bela captura, vale qualquer sacrificio por uma bela imagem ...
Parabéns .
Henrique

  • Great 
  • loot Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5718 W: 605 N: 3416] (9129)
  • [2007-03-26 19:41]
  • [2]

Hi AC

It doesn't seem like our TN friends could care much for the fact that you were donating blood on behalf of photography. Those buggers can sting with a capital and bold "S". I talk from experience as they are plentiful here in our region as well.

You have captured some excellent details on this horsefly and the colours are stunning. (Maybe Jay has a point about this fly turning "toxic" green because of your blood though.) The lighting was well controlled and the composition is fine showing the "rugged habitat" of this blood sucking female.

BTW, good notes, interesting, useful, informative, and very humoristic.

Great work and TFS.
Regards
Loot

  • Great 
  • arfer Gold Star Critiquer [C: 2731 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2007-04-06 20:54]

Hello AC

I have heard somewhere that an artist must suffer for his art! The measures we go through to "get the shot". The close up is very well done,and the compound eyes are striking.Very good focus and details.The colour saturation is very good.I hate these guys because they usually take a chunk.The continuous circling of the head drives me batty! TFS

Rob

hello
bravo, belle capture aussi bien de la mouche que de la photo
originalité et bien bons détails sur les poils
bien vu, merci
edith

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