England’s Tryst with the Vampirish Superfly

With Cheryl Cole’s recent tryst with malaria, it is evident that the insect bite situation is once again on the rise. There is, however, one more competitor (not like we needed any more) in the insects-that-can-bite category. This time around, it is the surge in the population of a certain superfly that is causing all the agony.

According to experts, there is this superfly that is now developing a taste for human blood; and there has been a surge in the number of bites that it has been spreading around, which have led to a large number of people being hospitalized.

Meet the Superfly –

The insect in question is the Blandford fly, which is, in reality a tiny little bug which is generally found only in the streams that flow through the south of rural England. These bugs, however, have now found their way to the not-so-rural areas around England; and have been encouraged by the increasing number of features that incorporate garden water.

The creature is said to be around 2 -3 millimeters in length and is capable of a nip that is both, painful and unpleasant.

The Blandford Fly Fact File –

• These flies are dark and squat; and will commonly be seen in between the May to August period.
• These insects are small enough to actually crawl through the clothes or fabrics that people wear; and get to the skin, so that they can directly attack the flesh.
• The lacerated mouth of the females helps them to chew through human skin and helps them feed on the blood that they crave for. They are most likely to do this just before they mate.
• Ankles and the foot region make for favorite targets in the case of these superflies that are a tad more interested in human blood than they are in animal blood.
• While mosquitoes choose the latter part of the day to take their bites off human flesh, these creatures are known to attack in mid day.
• Flu like symptoms may appear if the bites get infected by bacteria.  They might swell up to the size of a golf ball and might, in some cases, act as a trigger to allergic reactions.
• A female Blandford fly is capable of laying around 300 eggs at one shot; and these will lie dormant over the periods of winter, since she will lay during the June and July range. They will hatch only in spring.  This will correspond with the rising of the river then.

According to GP’s, there are chances of seeing an imminent increase in the number of bite cases soon. The reasoning behind it is that of simple logic – the balmy climate these days is giving people a reason to step out of their houses and head to gardens, and these are primarily the places where they could be the most susceptible to such insect bites.

Popularity: 4% [?]