During activities in a garden in limburg, several people were stung by a small fly. The bumps itched and became quite large. There was sometimes a small black dot on it. There was a large walnut tree in the garden and there were no farms nearby. I don’t think it was a stable fly, this one is bigger. Does anyone have any idea what this fly is?
Answer
Dear Cecile,
without a photo or further description of the animal or its behavior, your question is a particularly difficult task. One of the possibilities is that it concerns tickling mosquitoes (Simulium equinum). Although the animals look like small flies, they are indeed “mosquitoes”. A condition for their presence is the availability of running water because the larvae develop there. There must therefore be a fairly fast-flowing river in the area. Otherwise it is another small biting insect.
Kind regards,
Rudy
Answered by
Dr Rudy Jocque
Arachnology Zoology Biodiversity
Leuvensesteenweg 13 3080 Tervuren
http://www.africamuseum.be
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