Look into my Eyes!

Yes, stunning eyes! Nothing pains me more than not having had the tripod, the breeze blowing the fennel and not having caught this one. The photo isn't quite in focus and the fly is long gone.

It's one fly you want to be wary of. It's a Horse fly, Chrysops sp.. I've put an sp. short for species as, although I think its a Chrysops relictus, I can't be sure.

The males only eat pollen but the females need blood to breed and can give a really nasty bite. Why this one was in my garden, I really don't know, as they are found in damp areas of woodland or floodplain meadows. It may be that the pigsty next door has accumulated a damp spot or a small spring has developed with all the rain in the past months. The subsoil in this garden is always slightly damp and there are significant springs nearby.

The larvae are considered hydobionts as they require areas with a high concentration of water to survive and live mostly on decomposing organic material although some species like a bit of meat in their diet.

It's been another fantastically hot day and I'm loving it. Lady D is here with me now so I'm off to have some fun!

Update: Forget the focus comment. I found an almost identical image with better focus!