Can Anyone Identify This Ugly Fly!!

[Gwynne]

For about two weeks, I was hearing a buzzing when I sat at my computer. The computer is near a wall next to a window. I finally figured out the buzzing was coming from either outside the apartment or between the window screen and the window. I heard the buzzing on and off for two weeks.

The other day I came home and found the biggest, ugliest, fly I have ever seen! Not a tachinid fly, way too large. It was making the same buzzing that I had been hearing. I couldnt get close enough to it to try to kill it. It was dive bombing me, dive bombing the computer, it was pretty scary! It was so big, I thought it was going to lift the lid off my aquarium or something! Anyway, I had some water in the kitchen sink and it drowned. I did not turn it over before flushing it down the toilet. From the back, it looked to be 4 times the size of a house fly. I thought my problem was done, but this morning, I heard more buzzing coming from the same place. In my other post, I mentioned a caterpillar that I had to let pupate outside the aquairum because someone was trying to eat his leaf. Since everyone else is J hooking, I put him back in the aquarium.

Anyone have any ideas on what type of fly this could be? Is he after my caterpillars? He is too big to get to them but this is freaking me out!

[jen]

Hi Gwynne,
If it was dive bombing you, it was probably a horsefly or deerfly ( greenhead). We have killed about six of them this summer as they like to attack my children and me in the swimming pool almost daily! If it was large, grey and black striped fat body and big dark grey wings, that's probably what it was. The tell tale sign, however, is its short, "needle" sticking out from the top of its' head ( thats the part that gets 'ya ) and it HURTS! Good thing you killed it, if that's what it was...... Of course, without a picture, I really don't know for sure, I hope this helps you,
Jen

[Gwynne]

Thanks, Jen. It happens that I did stop at a field that day that had horses and thought of that. The thing is, it would have either had to have followed me around the whole day or hidden out in my car, then followed me up to my second floor apartment. That is why I ruled that out, coupled with the fact that I was hearing buzzing for a couple of weeks prior. I suppose anything is possible and horse fly was what I was thinking, but it seemed so unlikely.

Yes, after it drowned, I would not touch it. I should have turned it over to ID it, but I was just glad it had drowned and flushed it right away. If I had any idea the buzzing would come back, I would have looked it over. Luckily I havent heard the buzzing tonight. I will check with my neighbors who sit out on their patio as to whether they have heard any buzzing.

[Gwynne]

I just looked up a picture of a horsefly and I think that might have been what I had. I just hope I dont get any more! I have no idea now if the buzzing that I heard outside has any corrulation to this. I will have to open my windows, from outside! and look around my balcony to see what is going on there.