Fly Times Its Arrival for Saint's Day ; What's the Big, Heavy Looking Hairy Black Fly We've Had Around Since Early Spring?' Asks a Reader As I Sat Enjoying a Guinness to Build Up My Strength. Most Likely It Is a St Mark's Fly, Sometimes Known As a March Fly, so Called Because It Usually First Appears Around April 25, or St Mark's Day.

Summary

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What's the big, heavy looking hairy black fly we've had around since early spring?" asks a reader as I sat enjoying a Guinness to build up my strength. Most likely it is a St Mark's fly, sometimes known as a March fly, so called because it usually first appears around April 25, or St Mark's Day.

The description was accurate and it is a fly one often sees sitting on vegetation in large numbers. Females have smoky wings and fly sluggishly, while males have clear wings and fly vertically up and down, with the long hind legs hanging down.

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Extract

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Fly Times Its Arrival for Saint's Day ; What's the Big, Heavy Looking Hairy Black Fly We've Had Around Since Early Spring?' Asks a Reader As I Sat Enjoying a Guinness to Build Up My Strength. Most Likely It Is a St Mark's Fly, Sometimes Known As a March Fly, so Called Because It Usually First Appears Around April 25, or St Mark's Day.

Both sexes have strong heavy forelegs with swollen tibia and...

See the full content of this document

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