Notch-horned Cleg Haematopota pluvialis
Haemotopota clegs are a common species at the site where this was taken, and can be a painful nuisance. This appears to be the first I've identified to species level, though I may have another somewhere waiting for me to examine it. I mostly encounter them during the daytime but this one came to light at night.
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male Notch-horned Cleg Haematopota pluvialis showing antennae (3 views), Wendling Beck Project (Norfolk, UK), 16th July 2024
My attempt to catch this one failed so all I have to go on is these two photos. It was at the same place as the one above and I think you can see enough detail on the antennae to confirm it's another pluvialis.
, Dillington Carr, 5-Jul-24 (A) (1).jpg)
, Dillington Carr, 5-Jul-24 (A) (2).jpg)
female Notch-horned Cleg Haematopota pluvialis, Wendling Beck Project (Norfolk, UK), 5th July 2024
Another one that didn't quite get to bite me.
, Hill Farm Park, 27-Jun-25 (A) (1).jpg)
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female Notch-horned Cleg Haematopota pluvialis, Wendling Beck Project (Norfolk, UK), 27th June 2025
On this occasion they were very determined to drink my blood and succeeded in doing so. I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with these as they're such a nuisance but at the same time rather beautiful. It's no coincidence that all the ones I find during the day are females - for in reality it is the flies finding me (in the hope of a blood meal) rather than me finding them, and it is only the females that bite (and even then only after mating).
, Bullard's Wood, 18-Jul-25 (A) (1).jpg)
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female Notch-horned Cleg Haematopota pluvialis showing antennae (from above, from side, and close-up fo third segment from side) and abdomen from above, Wendling Beck Project (Norfolk, UK), 18th July 2025
, Bullard's Wood, 18-Jul-25 (B) (1).jpg)
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second female Notch-horned Cleg Haematopota pluvialis showing apex of first to third segments of antenna from side, Wendling Beck Project (Norfolk, UK), 18th July 2025
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third female Notch-horned Cleg Haematopota pluvialis showing antenna from side, Wendling Beck Project (Norfolk, UK), 18th July 2025
June 2026 was an excellent year for this species, or a dreadful year for them from a human perspective, with numbers quite unlike anything I've ever experienced. I'm used to getting bothered by the odd cleg here and there, maybe two at a time on occasion, but there were times this year when there were practically swarms of them. One this occasion I swept the net around my body and caught 20 clegs in one go. I retained these two for identification.
, Hall Farm, 16-Jun-26 (A) (1).jpg)
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, Hall Farm, 16-Jun-26 (A) (3).jpg)
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female Notch-horned Cleg Haematopota pluvialis showing wing and antenna from side, Wendling Beck Project (Norfolk, UK), 16th June 2026
, Hall Farm, 16-Jun-26 (B) (1).jpg)
, Hall Farm, 16-Jun-26 (B) (2).jpg)
, Hall Farm, 16-Jun-26 (B) (3).jpg)
second female Notch-horned Cleg Haematopota pluvialis showing antenna from side, Wendling Beck Project (Norfolk, UK), 16th June 2026