Is this a pest?

This hairy flying object was doing something on a celosia leaf with a tube coming from its bum end.

Has anybody any idea what it may be? If I knew what it was I'd be able to read up what damage its young can do.

8 small pics because they aren't very clear.

 

:eek: scary!! never seen one of those before, looks like something from a horror film :eek:

 

I have seen lots of these on plants lately with the odd rear appendage stuck in the air. They're quite tiny, 2mm or so.

 

Look at the bubble wrap it's sitting on. This guy is almost an inch, not 2mm more like 20mm.

 

Uurrgh! I thought it was enlarged! :eek:
Rather have my version any day Rich... Haven't we any insect experts?

 

would the tube thingy be something to do with laying eggs?????

We have benn invaded by a yeucky plague of flies this week - but have'nt been too close to see if they are hairy.....

I apologise in advance, but when it comes to flies, all thoughts of saving the planet go straight out my mind, and out comes the fly spay....

 

I'm sure it was an ovipositor, but there are no signs of eggs. I think the tube coming out of its head is a boom for mid air refueling.

 

:D I like that Rich....so that it can go on to fly into everybody elses garden! :D

 

There are 5,200 different species of flies in Britain -not a lot of people know that :D . The tube at the front is an elongated mouth part for sucking up exposed fluids such as nectar or blood. This fly will not be attacking your plant by chewing leaves etc. The rear end will be for eliminating waste and laying egggs. Some fly larva can be leaf miners or cause galls. From the look of this beastie, I would guess that he or she is a carrion feeder and so wil not be harmful in your garden.

 

I couldn't see any eggs from the tiny ones. They looked exactly as Rich said, as if they were waiting for refuelling!

 

It might be a relative of Jeff Goldblum in 'THE FLY'