What’s Biting Me? Episode ONE, San Juan Sniper
I’m going to start a new bug series called “What’s Biting Me?”
I’m starting this series because I have such bad reactions to bug bites in general, and I’m exasperated when people blame mosquitoes and spiders for everything. Also, if you’re one of those who is tired of it getting crowded here in the San Juans, feel free to share this with anyone who is thinking about moving here – or with anyone you WISH would move off the island. Maybe they’ll decide to live somewhere else. 😉
Epidode ONE, the San Juan Sniper
This is one of the Rocky Mountain Bite Flies (Symphoromyia sp.). It’s a Snipe fly in the family Family Rhagionidae, and it bit my husband today. Those are NOT my hairy legs. They’re my husband’s.
After getting some pictures, I went inside to look up what information I could find about the Genus and narrow down what species are in WA state. In doing so, I came across this interesting, and disturbing medical case report of a woman who had a severe allergic reaction to the bites of these flies. Now this was in the 70’s, in Forks, WA, but if this fly had bitten ME instead of my husband, it’s very likely I’d be the next case write up.
Attaching the paper in the link here if you care to read it. The woman could have D-I-E-D from anaphylactic shock.
You’ve been warned.
No worries, just stay indoors and you’ll avoid being bitten by the San Juan Sniper.
Symphoromyia Genus
Size: 4.7-9mm
Food: Females of some species of this genus are blood feeders. Symphoromyia females are common biting pests in the west. Males do not take blood meals. Both adults and larvae will prey on small insects.
Habitat: Adults are commonly found in woods near moist places, often found on foliage or grass, positioned with head resting head downward. Larvae occur in moist meadow soil, moss, decaying wood (incl. galleries of wood-boring insects), under bark, occasionally in water (bug guide.net).
References and Further Reading
Aldrich, J. M. 1905. A Catalogue of North American Diptera. Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections 46:680.
Bowser, Matt. 2017. Refuge Notebook: The bad biter par excellence. Peninsula Clarion. https://www.peninsulaclarion.com/life/refuge-notebook-the-bad-biter-par-excellence/#:~:text=Very%20little%20research%20has%20been,not%20known%20to%20transmit%20disease.
Bugguide.net. Family Rhagionidae (Snipe Flies). https://bugguide.net/node/view/116
Kerr, Peter H. 2004. REVISION OF THE GENERA OF THE RHAGIONIDAE OF THE WORLD (DIPTERA: BRACHYCERA). Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation. University of Maryland, College Park. https://drum.lib.umd.edu/items/7f964daf-76bd-467e-ac36-18a523ac5e5a
Turner WJ. A case of severe human allergic reaction to bites of Symphoromyia (Diptera: Rhagionidae). J Med Entomol. 1979 Feb 8;15(2):138-9. doi: 10.1093/jmedent/15.2.138. PMID: 448692 https://www.tesble.com/10.1093/jmedent/15.2.138
Bugging You From San Juan Island 