black fly

American  

noun

1. any of the minute, black gnats of the dipterous family Simuliidae, having aquatic larvae.

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black fly British  

noun

1. any small blackish stout-bodied dipterous fly of the family Simuliidae , which sucks the blood of man, mammals, and birds See also buffalo gnat

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Etymology

Origin of black fly

First recorded in 1600–10

Example Sentences

“Hanging out with the cook guy or anyone else we work with? Voluntarily listening to bad music while swatting at black flies?”

From Literature

Residents in the San Gabriel Valley are contending with a dramatic surge in black flies, a painful little pest known for biting around the eyes and necks of people and pets.

From Los Angeles Times

When he got there, everything was fine, except that her baby, he discovered, was one of two wriggling black mounds covered by swarms of black flies, which were "devouring the remnants of the placental membranes."

From Salon

The white walls are dotted with black flies - but the biggest problem is a shower room next to the kitchen.

From BBC

And keep in mind, the repellent you apply to keep mosquitoes away will also help ward off the other nasties like ticks and black flies.

From Los Angeles Times