FIELD GUIDE

Giant crane fly

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HOLORUSIA HESPERA

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Despite their short lives and fragile appearance, crane flies leave a lasting impression on hikers who wander among streamside grasses or down a shaded gully in early summer. Swarms of males gather there to wait for females and may rise with a rushing sound of their diaphanous wings when disturbed. Often mistakenly referred to as “daddy longlegs” or “mosquito hawks,” these large gangly flies are also easily observed at night around porch lights. Adults are little studied, but they have greatly reduced mouthparts that limit them to sipping flower nectar; they do not bite or eat mosquitoes as commonly believed. In fact, eating is a minor concern because males must spend most of their time bobbing rhythmically and waving their lanky legs to attract the attention of mates.

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NATURAL HISTORY

The 2 1/2-inch-long larvae are aquatic or semiaquatic and live in wet muck, where they eat organic debris. The larvae of other crane fly species have thick wrinkled brown skin that gives them the nickname leatherjackets, and they are notorious for eating roots and destroying lawn and yard plants.

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KEY CHARACTERISTICS

With a wingspan of nearly 3 inches, the giant crane fly is one of the largest flies in the world. It can also be recognized by its reddish-brown body with white markings on the sides.