These giant mosquito like creatures called crane flies are all over the Middle Tennessee area right now. They are flies that may look like mosquitoes but aside from their unfortunate appearance have no other similar attributes. Crane flies are perfectly harmless in their adult form but can be very annoying. In their larval form they burrow through the ground until they reach maturity. Then they fly up for mating season. In high numbers they could cause a little turf damage but it is highly unlikely. Because they are harmless and easy to catch birds and other insect loving critters can get some easy meals.
We left the garage open the other night for a couple hours and had a couple hundred of the Crane flies fly in to where my fluorescent plant lights were gleaming in the night. They are annoying, especially when you are mowing the lawn and large clouds of giant mosquito like creatures fly at you. What’s kind of creepy is seeing them when they turn end to end. No they are not Siamese bugs, they are mating!
If you want to read a little more about them The Tennessean’s Staff reporter Anne Paine wrote an article for today’s paper. It’s called Faux Mosquito Scares, Annoys.
Thanks Dave, Glad to know this insect’s name he showed up on my post today, lounging on C Ramona…
cats love to play with them, too;)
Gail
Ooh, those things get in the house and seem especially attracted to water sources when they get there. Then they die all over the place and I have all these bug leggities everywhere. Ugh!
The up side is that my hens love them! They are getting plenty of exercise chasing these guys all over the yard.
That looks a lot like the may flies that took over my house a few weeks ago.
Interesting…
We have the pesky things here in Nova Scotia, too, but later in the season.
Flying in “clouds”, sounds like a friend to the willow fly.