Dizzy Posted July 27, 2011 Report Share Posted July 27, 2011 What on earth is this? It was on the arm of my garden chair and was just under 1/2 inch long. Can they fly, do they bite.... what do they do ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted July 27, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 27, 2011 and what is this weird fly ? I keep seeing the odd one in the back yard and sometimes on the bin but this one was on the fence near the canal (it fuzzy sorry) It's like a huge fly but black and white with red 'eyes' and a sort of wasp shaped rear body. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Sid Posted July 27, 2011 Report Share Posted July 27, 2011 It looks like a forest shield-bug. they are omnivorous eating both fruit and caterpillars. can have red, orange or cream spots. http://www.bugsandweeds.co.uk/bugs.html#ForShBug about halfway down the page, as or the fly found a website that has pictures but as there something on the order of 7000 species I will leave it to somebody who has a bit of spare time to have a look for that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WireWarrior97 Posted July 27, 2011 Report Share Posted July 27, 2011 They grow until they are 7 foot tall, and yes, they bite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victor Posted July 28, 2011 Report Share Posted July 28, 2011 Dizzy, it's a hawthorn beetle. I see quite a few of them, as I have a hawthorn tree nearby. They won't hurt you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted July 28, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2011 Thanks Evils and Victor (as for you Clarkey ) Evils thanks for the link and you are right it is a Forest Bug (Pentatoma Rufipes) and is a part of the Shieldbug family called 'Stink Bugs' (Pentatomidae). The mothers spray nasty smells apparently Victor Hawthorn Beetles are also on Evils link but they are greener and loo different to mine. I just found a great website called 'Garden Safari' too which has all sorts of garden creatures and identification photos and info. Here's the link to the Forest Bug..which apparently is rarely seen although very common in forests, parks and larger gardens. They usually live high up in trees and bushes and suck on leaves and fruit but prefer to hunt for their own prey. Guess mine must have been lost http://www.gardensafari.net/en_picpages/pentatoma_rufipes.htm'>http://www.gardensafari.net/en_picpages/pentatoma_rufipes.htm and heres the link to the main site if anyone ever wonders what it is they see in their gardens. Well worth a look ! If you click on 'more' it opens more info about the bug you are looking at and more images...and if you scroll over the small images on the left they enlarge. http://www.gardensafari.net/ As for the big back and white fly with red 'eyes'.... it's a Common Flesh Fly (arcophaga carnaria )... it deposits its eggs in rotting meat. It's larvae do not actually eat the meat the meat but are predators that eat other larvae. So there you go ... that's another two things I've learnt thanks to you all and this forum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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