#1 - Look to the bottom of this thread for most current chart.

#2 - For a while now it has bothered me that every time someone mentions biting or black flies, there is always confusion about what that means. All the flies that bite us are black in color, so what are they talking about??

So here is a chart I whipped up showing the main types, sizes, and descriptions of the flying bugs that pester us up there. My drawings are not great, but I did not want to create copyright infringement, and I think they get the idea across.



If anyone has corrections, updates or suggestions I will do my best to update.

That looks like them. Nice job. It's like a Rogues Gallery of bloodthirsty villains. I never knew what a No-See-Um looked like because they were too small to see um.

Nice job! The stable flys are the worst.

great chart! can't imagine how much time it took to creat this so thank you very much. i've been bitten by all those buggers and really not a fan.

It's my simple hope that next time (or next year) when someone reports "those black flies were killing me" that this chart can be referenced and everyone can come to a common understanding of what is happening.

I sent a copy to the head of the U of MN Biology extension area asking for feedback, improvements, corrections, etc. Hopefully will get suggestions.

Thanks Jaywalker, that is a slick and witty chart.

Don't see anything on the chart that can carry me away so I should survive the trip.

Detailed artwork! Stable flies are fast buggers but I've managed to kill a few of 'em.

Great job on the chart. It's a wonder there has been nothing like this before out there. I imagine this took some time to compile and draw. Thanks for your work on doing this and sharing with all of us. Hopefully this will clear up some confusion on what bug is bugging us.

"Big, dark, evil eyes"

That's pretty accurate.

Thanks! Well done. Hopefully we can use it to be more specific.

Well done!

Any seasonal variations when you are more likely to have to deal with each type of bug?

Like Tipsy said...awesome chart and seasonal data would be interesting.

Very cool. Now I need the "smashed dead chart" to see what just bit me. :) . I'm a magnet for bugs and spiders.

Nice chart! Maybe there should be a sticky to standardize the nomenclature of BWCA insects! I agree with everything, except where I grew up, a "sand fly" was like a black fly, except it occurred in sandy areas. Of course these are just local names and there is no right or wrong answer. Anyway, nice job!

We should have your chart as a permenant feature on here someplace for reference. I already made a hard copy (hope you don't mind) to share with others.

well done!

Good job! Now we have a fresh "most wanted" poster to put up in camp - like the Post Office.

Thanks for putting this together.

Very good identification chart. You should get another tree for this.

Nice job. I saved on my phone for future reference.

Thanks Jaywalker, when the thread came up this year about Black Flies, I did a little search and found THIS.

The part about them biting only after the females have fertile eggs makes sense to me. I've been lucky enough to have run into them a few times when they would swarm and annoy you, but didn't bite, I'd guess the females weren't needing the blood proteins. I'd never heard them called Buffalo Gnats before reading that Adirondack Almanac article. Thanks again.

Thanks Jaywalker, when the thread came up this year about Black Flies, I did a little search and found THIS.

The part about them biting only after the females have fertile eggs makes sense to me. I've been lucky enough to have run into them a few times when they would swarm and annoy you, but didn't bite, I'd guess the females weren't needing the blood proteins. I'd never heard them called Buffalo Gnats before reading that Adirondack Almanac article. Thanks again.

This is great!

Very nicely done.

Has anyone spotted this BWCA Sasquatch fly?

This is amazing. Thank you

Thanks Jaywalker! That is an excellent synopsis.

Here is a link to an article that was published in the Minnesota Conservation Volunteer in July 2001. There are some interesting Scanning Electron Micrographs near the bottom of the article that show the piercing mouth parts.

What's Eating You?

I can't stand flies!!!

Nice chart Jaywalker. Great job and thanks. I've passed it into a few friends.

Looks like a police lineup. I choose perps 1-5, they've all bitten me and should be appropriately punished. Nice work.

Nice work!

Strong work jaywalker.
Black flies are well and plentiful in the park.
First hand report, they were nasty.

Nice job, dude. Seems pretty comprehensive based on my experience

Great reference tool. It drives me crazy when people call about 3 incorrect species "Black Flies".

Warm Black Fly Vinaigrette

quote brux: "Nice job! The stable flys are the worst. "

+1
The only bug encounter I have had up there that was near unbearable.

quote Grandma L: "Good job! Now we have a fresh "most wanted" poster to put up in camp - like the Post Office."

LOL, more like "least wanted" poster.

Nice work, jaywalker!

Nice..FYI ~ I don't like any of these. ;-)

~

Excellent idea, jaywalker. I see under deer fly, that they are attracted to the color blue. Which made me wonder as I ponder a new CCS tarp purchase, which colors to avoid and which colors to favor. A brief Google search suggested that black flies might be repelled by the color yellow. Can anybody here speak to colors that repel and attract flies in the BWCAW?

I stopped wearing blue in Quetico years ago.

quote outsidej: "Excellent idea, jaywalker. I see under deer fly, that they are attracted to the color blue. Which made me wonder as I ponder a new CCS tarp purchase, which colors to avoid and which colors to favor. A brief Google search suggested that black flies might be repelled by the color yellow. Can anybody here speak to colors that repel and attract flies in the BWCAW?"

Deer flies are definitely attracted to blue, like blue Harmony (bear) barrels or blue solo plastic cups. . I'll never buy anything blue again for the BWCA.

Not sure any color repels much, though most believe mosquitos are attracted to darker colors more than lighter ones (as well as larger body size, motion, CO2, and other body chemicals).