It's an invasion... of... wait what is it?

[Kayota]

WHAT IS IT D: They're everywherrrre, I'm not scared of them but they're getting annoying. My VFT even caught one, lol.

 

[DrWurm]

They're called crane flies

 

[Kayota]

I now know that Thank you.

 

[Trapper7]

They look like biiiiig mosquitos!

 

[Kayota]

I know, it's creepy.

 

[upper]

i got a like 7 of these inside my VFT.... dead dried and crispy

 

[scottychaos]

We have them around here too..
VFTs often catch them with those long legs hanging out of the trap!

Those legs look very similar to "Daddy long legs" legs..I wonder if they are closely related?..I do know that "Daddy long legs" are not technically spiders, even though most people incorrectly assume they are..

(scot heads over to google..be right back..)

ok..they are not related:

http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/spidermyth/myths/daddylonglegs.html

The crane fly is a true insect..the Daddy long legs (harvestman) is an arachnid, but not a spider!

Scot

 

[seedjar]

Crane flies eat mosquitos; they're good. Just don't try to catch them, because they do bite when provoked and it hurts like hell. Has anyone read any Edward Gorey?

O what has become of Millicent Frastley?
Is there any hope that she's still alive?
Why haven't they found her? It's rather ghastly
To think that the child was not yet five.

~Joe

PS - In July/August the ones around my house can get to the size of my hand. The bodies alone are several inches long and as thick as a pen.

 

[Trapper7]

Those things can bite?? When I lived in Canada they were all over the place and I would pick them up all the time and put them back outside (if they were in the house I mean) and I never got bit. I guess I was lucky! I haven't seen them here in FL though.

 

[jimscott]

I was told that they were the male mosquitoes.

 

[Finch]

No, its just a kind of fly. Most do not even feed as adults, nor do they eat mosquitoes.

 

[PlantAKiss]

I knew they are crane flies but did not know they bite! Ugggh!

 

[Finch]

Thats the first time I have heard that they bite. Is that from personal experience?

 

[jimscott]

Are they Phil Crane flys?

 

[Indychus]

We have them here in south carolina as well... we call them mosquito hawks (more commonly skeeter hawks) because of the general misconception that they prey on mosquitos. They do not bite, as I used to play with them (usually pop the legs off) when I was young.

 

[Fryster]

We used to call 'em, "Mosquito Eaters".

They're harmless.............

 

[droseraguy]

I never got bit either Niki. We call them flycatchers, probobly wrongly I suppose. Ya, it's weird Scotty that the Daddy Long legs are like giant mites ! Either way they're both cool when the legs are sticking out of the vft trap and wiggling !!

 

[Trapper7]

oohh I heard they were male mosquitos too. I forgot about that!

 

[Kayota]

They don't bite or eat mosquitoes, I did some research - they're harmless and eat nectar or nothing for their lifespan.

 

[Capensis]

I was told that they were the male mosquitoes.

I was told they were female mosquitos, LOL!