Creepy flying bugs

Photo: Vernon and Area Community Forum

Cara Hofer posted a picture of a winged beast to the Vernon and Area Community Page that she said was more than 1.5 inches long.

It's been a spring of creepy crawlies in the North Okanagan.

And they are not only invading the countryside, they are taking over Facebook.

In mid April, Amanda Darbyson posted a picture of the black, hairy arachnid that she saw near her home on Wellingtion Drive in the Harwood area of Vernon.

It turns out the scary creature was a trapdoor spider.

On May 1, Jaci Glazier posted a picture on social media of what looks like a spider with long front legs with pincers on them.

Turns out that was a pseudoscorpion, a very small bug common to the region.

Now flying beasts are getting people talking.

A picture of a large, black nasty looking winged monstrosity with a yellow dot on its back was posted to the Around the Block Lumby page.

Most agreed it was from the wasp family, some speculating it was a queen wasp of some sort, but it is most likely a sawfly.

It is reported their larvae can do a lot of damage to plants, but while they look scary, they do not sting.

But the invasion of the bug does not end there.

Cara Hofer posted a picture of a winged beast to the Vernon and Area Community Page that she said was more than 1.5 inches long.

It is also black with several yellow stripes on its back.

It is generating a lot of discussion, and after much debate, this flying beast is most likely a horsefly.

Common to the province, horseflies can be quite large and they pack a nasty punch.

A Google search found the fly's mandible is what makes these bites so painful. Once the horse fly is locked in, it eats the blood from the skin. This bite can cause a sharp, burning sensation. It's common to experience itchiness, inflammation, and swelling around the bite area