[at-l] I bagged a moose fly

[rbenhameda@comcast.net (Rami)]

Could this http://www.enature.com/fieldguide/showSpeciesGS.asp?sort=1&curGroupID=99&display=1&area=99&searchText=horse+fly&curPageNum=2&recnum=IS0073/ be the one you killed?  The range says it matches, and the body length looks right...

-r
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: kahley 
  To: at-l@backcountry.net 
  Sent: Sunday, June 23, 2002 7:25 AM
  Subject: [at-l] I bagged a moose fly


  Long time listers will remember my talking about those
  horrific humongous purple versions of horse flies we call T-Rex
  and scoffed at their existence...and at my description of their
  four inch wingspan and their bite that turned our normally ferocious
  Thor into a yelping quivering canine locomotive which crashed
  thru the screen door to get into the house and away from T-Rex.
  Well I haven't seen one of those in a couple years but I did happen
  to spot the lesser version...Moose fly.

  Flat black, it lacks the iridescent purple of the zenith of the
  biting flies, it was warming on the window of our van  yesterday AM.
  I turned to Hub and whispered..moose fly and saw that look of
  bloodlust (probably matching my own) that only these *%#*@#
  blood suckers can evoke.  We cast eyes around...looking for a weapon.
  Finding none, and knowing if I moved away I would never get this close
  again, I s l oo o wly reached down and pulled of my shoe.  Still out
  of range, I knew I had to get one step closer if I had a chance at a kill.

  I looked at the HUGE eyes, knowing that they were compound and
  that I was currently pictured by a hundred lenses I took that step.
  I could feel Hub's thoughts burning into my brain.  "ONE SHOT...
  DON'T BLOW IT!!!!!!.  I am to the right of it, but right handed.  Do
  I dare another step.  Should I raise my arm slowly or with as much
  speed as I can muster?

  I raised the shoe up and across my bod, ever so slowly as I slowly shifted
  my weight to my left foot and blam!!!!!!  I GOT IT.  I found myself jumping
  like a kid who just scored a TD and when I looked at HUB, his arms were
  raised and fists clenched and he was chanting  YES YES YES!!!

  We measured this bad boy....2 and 9/16 in wingspan 1 and 1/8 in
  body length.    If I had a scanner, I could prove it to ya'll.  And Moose Flies
    are only half the size of T-Rex.  T-Rex is out there...usually near
  water.  So if you hear a drone that sounds like a distant chainsaw,
  but it seems to be getting rapidly closer, use your hands to cover
  the back of your neck and RUN!!!!!

  BTW...I routinely catch and release wasps and hornets that find their way
  into our home. Ditto centipedes and spiders.  I hold no ire against any
  bug 'cept those that want to feed on me.  But deerflies, horse flies and
  there bigger cousins are fair game.....
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