Can Anyone ID this bug? (UK insect)

I have found a few of these bugs over the years,I find them on animals-dogs,swifts,rabbits etc.but I managed to get a few shots of a dead one-It was alive until I found it on my dog,trying to wriggle into his hair for possible horrid purposes.
Location:Semi rural North Wales,woodland,fields and cattle nearby.

The pictures are not that great with my cheapo macro tube,but hopefully someone has an idea of what they are.

Unfortunatley the pics are from a few days after I killed the bug,so its dried up-the body is usually fatter and more triangular.
They skitter across the floor,never seen them fly,although they have wings-Are they a baby bluebottle or something?
6 legs,so an insect.
Possible iridescence on leg maybe?

Weird horrid skittering fur burrowing creepy bug-but what sort?
Thank you for your theories folks.

I forgot to tell you the size!
The semi circular ring you can see in the background is the inner seal ring of a beer bottle cap.
The bug is approx 4millimetres long.

Hope this helps ID the thing.

my guess is that this bug is a flea,,, contrats on killing it and taking some pics.. fleas can be either brown or black

Originally posted by alysha.angel
my guess is that this bug is a flea,,, contrats on killing it and taking some pics.. fleas can be either brown or black

Not a flea...fleas don't have wings and it's too large.

Looks like it has a proboscis at the head, legs are hairy, plus where the wings are set on it...I'm guessing a type of fly or horsefly Eyes are a little weird for a fly though as usually they are big bulbous things but could be the picture throwing that off. My guess is a large brown horsefly, considering the area and they do bite so glad you saved your dog from being bit.

That look about right?
www.csearle.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk...

I don't think fleas have wings. It looks more like some type of fly to me.

I'll try finding a match.

Fleas have flat bodies are small and don't have wings. Your bug looks like some sort of fly. EEEEEW!

Not sure, but I'm guessing that you're looking at a blackfly.

I did a search for "fly" AND "hairy" AND "UK" AND "blood". Seems to fit the bill, as well as the relative size. Given that these critters are apparently world-wide, I'm amazed that they aren't here in the land-of-all-things-biting.

I believe I have identified it.

This is a louse-fly or hippoboscidae.

wiki

reply to post by MagicWand67


I must say MagicWand67 I think you have nailed it-It did look just like that pic until its legs curled up underneath.
Yuck,it is a parasite as I thought it may be.
Oddly wiki does not mention them being in the UK,but I am pretty sure that is what it is.

Thanks for the help folks!


Edit to add-Yes they do have them in the UK-one type in particular is the "swift louse fly"

www.gwct.org.uk...

That is the sort I think it must be,as we have loads of swifts nesting in the roof at this time of year.
Problem solved.