Check out this beauty:

2 pence piece as a size reference:

What’s the STW verdict?

Hover fly?

Horsefly?

Murder hornet?

Cootie?

Definitely looks like a hoverfly of some sort but it’s a monster isn’t it, never seen one anything like that big

Not a baby Robin

Hammer a sausage into it.

Phone reckons it’s tabanus sudeticus, more commonly known as a giant **** off horsefly.

Horsefly, kill the b’stard.

The Express says we are doomed.

Just popped out to deal with it and it’s buzzed off.

Could be a really small 2p.

Is the 2 p gone? if so, Robber Fly.

it’s a giant horsefly, had one in our tent whilst camping in France a few years back. Sounded like a squadron of helicopters. Very cool eyes

Yes, dark giant horsefly

If we’ve now got Murder Horseflies then it’s game over and I sure as shit wouldn’t be getting that close to the bastard. Regular ones are the insect equivalent of a gang of pubescents with knives, if they’ve brought their dad then I’m done.

If we’ve now got Murder Horseflies then it’s game over and I sure as shit wouldn’t be getting that close to the bastard. Regular ones are the insect equivalent of a gang of pubescents with knives, if they’ve brought their dad then I’m done.

The end of the world is nigh 😱
Now where did I put my flamethrower?

Horsefly. Kill it with fire 🔥

Then nuke it from orbit just to be sure, ken?

These threads are normally about wood flies which look like weapons grade bellend nutcases with an inch long needle ready stab your eye out if you look at it funny but are totally harmless.

That thing up there needs deaded.

Wood flies

Is that the same as a wood wasp ?, aka A giant horntail, which are big+scary looking, but harmless.

I sure as shit wouldn’t be getting that close to the bastard.

Luckily you need to make zero effort either way. She’ll come to you. Coolest thing about her IMO is the silent stealth she uses when approaching prey.

She likes your smell, your breath, possibly your clothes.

Dark colors – particularly the color blue – CO2 and fast movement are incredibly attractive to a horse fly, as are the results of such; body heat and body odor are particularly attractive.

https://sciencing.com/attracts-horseflies-8669865.html

Is that the same as a wood wasp ?, aka A giant horntail, which are big+scary looking, but harmless.

Yeah that’s them, sound like a chinook coming in to land.

Seems like it’s the Dark Giant Horsefly:

https://www.whatsthatbug.com/2016/06/30/male-dark-giant-horse-fly-uk/

That’s a male, though – they have contiguous eyes, the female’s eyes are separated. The males feed on nectar, it’s the females that are the noisy bloodsucking daemons!

Yeah, nah

This is a pretty regular sight in my neck of the woods – a spider wasp stinging a large huntsman spider, and struggling to carry it off for it’s lunch

The sting is described as “blinding, fierce, and shockingly electric. A running hair dryer has been dropped into your bubble bath.” Only the sting of the bullet ant, Paraponera clavata, is ranked higher, with a 4+ rating.

That’s a male, though – they have contiguous eyes, the female’s eyes are separated. The males feed on nectar, it’s the females that are the noisy bloodsucking daemons!