CLOSED: Black Flying Bug

Its wings seem to flicker,shining when it's in flight.very quick take off and landing.

Oh I hate those things. When it lands does it knock its little antenna together really fast?
I would like to know what this is too.

Yep that the one!!!
They almost scare me when they show up unexpectedly!
There so quick!

A Blowfly?

From the pictures I found of blowfly, I dont think that's it. This bug is longer and skinner and flies different than any fly I've come across.

What elevation? Near the Timberline?
I've seen them in the forest.

We had them in Houston at sea level and we have them here in Lubbock at about 3,000 ft.

heck its over 2 inches long!wings shine in flight,I think maybe the sun ricocheting off the dark black wings.

looks very much like a Robber Fly .there are some pics on Google Image .
We have smaller ones here

boot -- you are good! The first few pics I googled for Robber Fly I thought you were off-base, but then I found this one:

http://www.windsofkansas.com/Basilidae/okmorosum.JPG

and although the antennae are much shorter the family resemblance is undeniable!

Here is a paper with maps of reported occurrance by county including Texas and Kansas -- of this species (Microstylum morosum) and a related one (M.galactodes)... the maps are near the bottom of this long article. In the first paragraph it mentions a M.pollens considered a color variant of M.morosum without saying what the color difference was! Your bug seems even blacker than the one(s) pictured in the reference and maybe that's the variant (I could find no further references). Maybe the variations also include the longer antennae.

http://www.windsofkansas.com/Basilidae/entnews5.htm
~'spin!~

Hmmm I dont know....I think its close, but the antenna on the ones I see are always long and gross and that's what tips me off to what it is.

Incidentally, another site made a strong point that the robber flies as a group are our friends -- although some may snack on a butterfly or honeybee, the pests they devour are many more than the beneficials.
~'spin!~

Yes this is so close,but there might just be another one out there with long antennas.
Very good info ,thanks spin

hope I haven't sent you an a wild goose chase!! LOL but It does look somewhat near our robber flies, and I didn't realise there are so many. I'll keep looking.

Boot, any reason why you call them robber flies?

they are good at catching other flying insects, I am not sure if it's to eat them or too lay there eggs in. they should be called assassin Flys.
maybe they do something else to have robber in there name?

Thanks,that sounds interesting!

I have had another look about, this site has lots of insect pics, but still not the right one that I can see. www.forestryimages.org

Went thru all those flies,couldn't find it either,never knew there were so many flies!!

neither did I

It almost looks like it's laying eggs on that log doesn't it?

LOL!Couldn't say,never saw one lay eggs!!LOL!
To me it looks like getting ready to launch!!