# Can anybody ID this big mosquito-like bug? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 16, 2003, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anybody-id-this-big-mosquito-like-bug/161867 "2003-03-16T23:30:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Inky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7feea3/32.png) [@Inky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inky_1)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2003, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anybody-id-this-big-mosquito-like-bug/161867/1 "2003-03-16T23:30:45Z")
For some reason my yard is overrun with [these things](http://www.fathom.org/inky/images/BUG.JPG) 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. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2003, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anybody-id-this-big-mosquito-like-bug/161867/2 "2003-03-16T23:36:50Z")
Crane fly. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2003, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anybody-id-this-big-mosquito-like-bug/161867/3 "2003-03-16T23:40:41Z")
Also known as mosquito hawk or lamp-witch. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2003, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anybody-id-this-big-mosquito-like-bug/161867/4 "2003-03-16T23:41:30Z")
[Crane Fly: _Tipula spp._](http://www.insects.org/entophiles/diptera/dipt_003.html) [Crane Fly:larva is a lawn pest](http://whatcom.wsu.edu/cranefly/) ---
**Author:** ![Inky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7feea3/32.png) [@Inky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inky_1)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2003, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anybody-id-this-big-mosquito-like-bug/161867/5 "2003-03-16T23:41:31Z")
Coolness! Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e56c9b/32.png) [@Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mirror_Image_egamI_rorriM)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anybody-id-this-big-mosquito-like-bug/161867/6 "2003-03-17T00:39:31Z")
I’ve always heard them called Jersey mosquitoes. Goddamn creepy bugs. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anybody-id-this-big-mosquito-like-bug/161867/7 "2003-03-17T01:05:43Z")
My sister calls them “skeeter eaters”. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anybody-id-this-big-mosquito-like-bug/161867/8 "2003-03-17T02:00:55Z")
We called them “spider mosquitos” and ignored them, since they didn’t bite. ---
**Author:** ![FranticMad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c68b51/32.png) [@FranticMad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FranticMad)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anybody-id-this-big-mosquito-like-bug/161867/9 "2003-03-17T02:09:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RealityChuck \* > \*\*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. ---
**Author:** ![eburacum45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eburacum45/32/8690_2.png) [@eburacum45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eburacum45)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anybody-id-this-big-mosquito-like-bug/161867/10 "2003-03-17T02:21:24Z")
The Crane Fly is the adult form of the Leather Jacket worm. We get them in the UK a lot. ---
**Author:** ![Dogface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@Dogface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogface)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anybody-id-this-big-mosquito-like-bug/161867/11 "2003-03-17T05:08:47Z")
We call it a “Mosquito Hawk” in Indiana. It preys on mosquitos. ---
**Author:** ![Electronic\_Chaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Electronic\_Chaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electronic_Chaos)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anybody-id-this-big-mosquito-like-bug/161867/12 "2003-03-17T05:49:02Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anybody-id-this-big-mosquito-like-bug/161867/13 "2003-03-17T06:54:06Z")
“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](http://lakes.chebucto.org/ZOOBENTH/BENTHOS/xv.html#life).