For some reason my yard is overrun with these things this year. As a child I remember thinking that they were some kind of huge mosquito, but now looking at their heads I don’t think they’re biters.
Anybody got a clue? The pic is surprisingly close to life-size.
Crane fly.
Also known as mosquito hawk or lamp-witch.
Coolness! Thanks!
I’ve always heard them called Jersey mosquitoes. Goddamn creepy bugs.
My sister calls them “skeeter eaters”.
We called them “spider mosquitos” and ignored them, since they didn’t bite.
I don’t know about that. It looks like the thing that sucked out my aunt’s brain and replaced it with a cabbage. Didn’t make much difference to be honest.
But I’ll trust you on this and let them live from now on.
The Crane Fly is the adult form of the Leather Jacket worm. We get them in the UK a lot.
We call it a “Mosquito Hawk” in Indiana. It preys on mosquitos.
I’ve always heard them called “Mosquito Eaters.” I never thought they were gigantic mosquitos, and never was fearful of them. I do, however, recall the kids at school being deathly afraid of one onetime. I just laughed.
“Mosquito Hawk” is more commonly used to refer to dragonflies who, in fact, eat mosquitoes.
The adult crane fly generally does not eat (living only a day or two) although this site suggests that it may eat nectar.
