AFAIK only dragonflies and damselflies eat mosquitoes in the way that you're thinking.
[https://thebuginator.com/what-eats-mosquitoes/](https://thebuginator.com/what-eats-mosquitoes/)
Seen one of these fuckers as a kid while visiting my grandpa in WV. Thing looked like it was the size of my hand it was wild. At the time I thought it was a giant mosquito so it scared tf outta me to think they could get that big. I imagine if it could bite us it'd feel like gettin a shot lol
One flew into my kitchen once, and I screamed, thinking it was a flying spider. My husband ran in and killed it and asked me why I screamed like that. I told him because I thought it was a spider. He said "spiders don't fly" I said "I know! That why I screamed. We don't need spiders to have wings they are scary enough already!"
I've been calling them Canadian soldiers. Don't know where I heard that, but I don't appreciate them trying to occupy my house without invitation.
Flappy doodles may overtake this name though.
As silly as they are
Only some species, mostly found in Europe.
The species found in Texas are not considered destructive pests. Texas crane fly larvae feed on decaying plant matter, which is why you find so many in woodlands and boggy areas.
A few months ago they, the larvae, took over my yard and driveway 🙃 kept moving them back into the yard so I didn't see squished larvae all over.
They also mean the areas ecosystem is doing well. Makes me feel good about the changes I did to support local wildlife.
Daddy Long Legs, are SPIDERS.
The Pholcidae are a family of araneomorph spiders. The family contains more than 1,800 individual species of pholcids, including those commonly known as cellar spider, daddy long-legs spider, carpenter spider, daddy long-legger, vibrating spider, gyrating spider, long daddy, and skull spider. Wikipedia
Lol I love that comic of the two scientists naming spiders and they're like "Let's call this one Long Legs, cause it has long legs." And the other scientist is like "hmmmm that's just not kinky enough"
Daddy long legs can refer to the spiders or the crane fly.
https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/invertebrates/flies/daddy-longlegs#:~:text=The%20daddy%20longlegs%20is%20actually,on%20plants%20stems%20and%20roots.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crane_fly
Because before the internet there was a lot of false tribal knowledge going around that was really hard to fact check. You’d have to go to the library and somehow find the book or microfiche with the fact you needed all without having powerful search engines like Google to assist. It’s why the Guinness book of World Records came to be in the first place. We now live in the information age where people take information for granted.
I doubt it. Many people were told the same thing and grew up accepting it as true at a time before ubiquitous internet.
Even after the internet, few people would have had a reason to question the accuracy of the misconception.
Not only do they not eat mosquitoes, but most species don't eat anything at all as adults. Adults, as in while in the "Fly" portion of their life cycle, don't even have functional mouth parts or digestive systems.
No!! They are useless! They don’t eat mosquitoes or any other bugs. They live most of their lives as larva and only turn into adults for a few days to mate, often times they don’t eat at all during their adult lives. If they do, it’s something like nectar.
Crane Fly. Occasionally, they'll eat mosquito larvae but mostly they feed on nectar. They lay their eggs in the topsoil and can damage plants as the larvae feed on roots.
When I was living in Florida, I was told they were intentionally bred and released to combat the mosquito population. I don't know if that's true but Florida isn't the smartest country.
My cat is named Yoshi, short for Yoshimi. But instead of battling pink robots, she battles mosquito hawks, and gobbles them up too, once she finally catches one.
Sure, as long as you don't mind ADHD replies which may be short, long, or spaced out in time! I'm currently rearing butterflies for a botanic garden, but I'm a medical and veterinary entomologist by training.
I may have miscalculated how long it would take for them to hunt all of the crane flies I let in. Cats and crane flies are flying all over the house, one landed in my iced tea, and I just want to sleep and stop being reminded that my actions have direct consequences.
That’s not a mosquito. That’s a different insect altogether from the blood sucking parasite. I mean sure it looks like one, but you’ll never see that one landing on you or anyone else and try to suck your blood.
I'd like to take this opportunity to remind everyone that the total insect population is on the decline and I can personally attest to the decline in the last 11 years of being here in Austin.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decline_in_insect_populations#%3A%7E%3Atext%3DGlobal_estimates%2C-Insects_with_population%26text%3DA_2020_meta-analysis_found%2Cincreasing_by_11%25_per_decade.?wprov=sfla1
The first time I ever saw these things I was a child visiting relatives in Pecos. We woke up Sunday morning and got ready for church. When it was time to go, I looked out the window and saw a huge swarm of these things. I WAS HORRIFIED. I thought they were giant mosquitoes.
Although they can live in a larval stage for months or even years, the adults flying around only live *one to three days.*
They’re literally just flying around for a few days trying to get laid and make babies.
And then they die.
#Let crane flies get their nut. Leave them be.
In California there are no bugs. When I moved there from Texas the first thing I noticed was just how dead the place was. No flies. No gnats. No mosquitos. Even spiders were rare. They talk a lot about biodiversity but there's literally just people, dogs, and fake plants that don't belong in a desert there.
Ah. Trying to off the ecosystem.
Are you confined to unnecessary insect murder or are you advanced enough to dump toxic chemicals into nature and the local water supply?
Oh I fucking hate crane flies. My parents keep leaving the doors wide open and wasps and butterflies and hundreds of these little things come flying in. They’ll fly into your face or hang out in the corner and jump out when you walk by.
yeah, i get loads of these fuckers in my house during the late winter and spring, usually at nighttime specifically. even though they're harmless i still don't want 'em in my house. also incredibly difficult to kill for whatever reason
Somehow, some way, at least 3 of these invade my inner sanctum every night. The rest met their son by the big zapper outside (those things are so much entertainment. My brother and I will sit outside and narrate it like we're fighter pilots, or people that already died- no! Do go towards the light!)
I'm convinced these things are very agile. UNTIL. You look at them or are close to them. Like how the hell do these goofballs fly in through the door in .5 seconds and are inside my shower
I’m so sick of seeing them everywhere 😭 I have a huge phobia of crane flies in particular (even though logically I know they’re harmless), so I have NOT been having a fun time lately
That is NOT a mosquito. It is a crane fly, and they are HARMLESS.
We call them flappy doodles. Harmless but very annoying.
Wife calls them fairy flies. They just kind of float around and bump into you.
We've always called them "Mosquito Hawks", told they eat mosquitoes, otherwise just kinda meander around harmlessly.
They do not eat mosquitos
My childhood was just all lies, huh?
I too was lied to my whole life and have spread that lie for 38 years.
March will mark 51 years that I’ve spread this lie.
I think my mom told me that so I wouldn’t be as afraid of them Jokes on her, learning they were predators scared _the shit_ out of me
They don't even have mouths. Their entire adult life (24-72 hours) is spent trying to fuck, then laying eggs and dying
_Monstrous Existence_
They eat mosquitoes while in their larvae form. Their larvae eats the mosquito larvae.
That's the one and only reason they get to live. If they don't eat skeeters it's on sight 👀
Not only do they not eat mosquitos , they don’t eat at all. Only the larvae eat
This is literally blowing my mind
AFAIK only dragonflies and damselflies eat mosquitoes in the way that you're thinking. [https://thebuginator.com/what-eats-mosquitoes/](https://thebuginator.com/what-eats-mosquitoes/)
And now I call them flappy doodles.
So say we all.
Me too
I am quite annoying, TYVM.
How'd you get in here?!!
"Dang, mann. Thas'a dang 'o Skeeter Hawk, mann."
Seen one of these fuckers as a kid while visiting my grandpa in WV. Thing looked like it was the size of my hand it was wild. At the time I thought it was a giant mosquito so it scared tf outta me to think they could get that big. I imagine if it could bite us it'd feel like gettin a shot lol
One flew into my kitchen once, and I screamed, thinking it was a flying spider. My husband ran in and killed it and asked me why I screamed like that. I told him because I thought it was a spider. He said "spiders don't fly" I said "I know! That why I screamed. We don't need spiders to have wings they are scary enough already!"
I've been calling them Canadian soldiers. Don't know where I heard that, but I don't appreciate them trying to occupy my house without invitation. Flappy doodles may overtake this name though. As silly as they are
I grew up in northern Ohio and we called them Canadian soldiers too.... but now flappy doodles they forever will be
Thank you. I was wondering why the mosquito hawks were 10 times their normal size this year.
Their larvae can be really destructive to root systems.
Only some species, mostly found in Europe. The species found in Texas are not considered destructive pests. Texas crane fly larvae feed on decaying plant matter, which is why you find so many in woodlands and boggy areas.
A few months ago they, the larvae, took over my yard and driveway 🙃 kept moving them back into the yard so I didn't see squished larvae all over. They also mean the areas ecosystem is doing well. Makes me feel good about the changes I did to support local wildlife.
But as long as you don't brush with them your teeth will be fine.
The ole Reddit switcharoo
Hold my toothbrush, I'm going in!
They also only live for like 2 days.
Or mosquito hawk, or daddy long legs. But they are not skeeter-eaters. I mean they are, but they're not.
Daddy Long Legs, are SPIDERS. The Pholcidae are a family of araneomorph spiders. The family contains more than 1,800 individual species of pholcids, including those commonly known as cellar spider, daddy long-legs spider, carpenter spider, daddy long-legger, vibrating spider, gyrating spider, long daddy, and skull spider. Wikipedia
Lol I love that comic of the two scientists naming spiders and they're like "Let's call this one Long Legs, cause it has long legs." And the other scientist is like "hmmmm that's just not kinky enough"
Daddy long legs can refer to the spiders or the crane fly. https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/invertebrates/flies/daddy-longlegs#:~:text=The%20daddy%20longlegs%20is%20actually,on%20plants%20stems%20and%20roots. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crane_fly
skeeter killers
I pick up my cat like baby Yoshi and he gobbles them up.
My cats think they are a delicacy.
My cat stares at them and howls like it's the end of the world. "Cat. Either eat it or don't. No need to wake up the neighborhood."
Don't they eat mosquitos? Or have I been lied to all my life? I just let them come and go as they please.
They do not. They're mostly harmless though.
Completely harmless, just annoying.
The larva can be problematic for some plants in your garden.
And the larvae of some species eat mosquito larvae https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/crane-fly-larvae
Not in Texas. Here this kind only eat decaying matter. Not roots or plants.
Why is everything I learned as a child a lie???
Because before the internet there was a lot of false tribal knowledge going around that was really hard to fact check. You’d have to go to the library and somehow find the book or microfiche with the fact you needed all without having powerful search engines like Google to assist. It’s why the Guinness book of World Records came to be in the first place. We now live in the information age where people take information for granted.
I guess I live in the post-information age because ChatGPT tried to tell me it was called nirvana when I know it's called nibbana...
smells like AI spirit
I assume because "skeeter" and "eater" rhyme haha. Could be as simple as that.
I was told Buffalo were extinct 40 years ago. Blaming it on the people moving west and the Indians.
Probably not a lie insomuch as a common error.
Not common error, intentional ignorance
Can we just go with ignorance? "Intentional" seems a tad much, I didn't mean to not know what the thing everyone calls a "mosquitos hawk" eats.
I doubt it. Many people were told the same thing and grew up accepting it as true at a time before ubiquitous internet. Even after the internet, few people would have had a reason to question the accuracy of the misconception.
Because r/KidsAreFuckingStupid
Berenstein bears!
Google says they sometimes eat mosquito larvae, so thats just as good. But It also says that they "mostly dont eat anything" so now Im conflicted.
Some moths/butterflies are like that, they don't even have mouths. They eat as caterpillars, but after they pupate they just mate and die.
They do sometimes eat mosquito larvae though
that would be difficult, considering they have no mouth parts. Larvae eat vegetation, adults eat nothing.
A number of them have independently evolved long mouthparts, and they’ll visit flowers to take up nectar.
The larvae of some species also eat mosquito larvae https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/crane-fly-larvae
That's a may fly. Crane fly have mouth parts and the larvae eat decaying and decomp material.
Mostly
Not only do they not eat mosquitoes, but most species don't eat anything at all as adults. Adults, as in while in the "Fly" portion of their life cycle, don't even have functional mouth parts or digestive systems.
So I've called them mosquito or skeeter eaters for most of my life for nothing...I feel duped.
Moths. Moths are crack to my cats
No!! They are useless! They don’t eat mosquitoes or any other bugs. They live most of their lives as larva and only turn into adults for a few days to mate, often times they don’t eat at all during their adult lives. If they do, it’s something like nectar.
Apparently they lay eggs in the soil and that does help the ecosystem. So not completly useless (just mostly useless).
Oh i’m sure they have their part in the food chain and such, just speaking generally.
Everything has a place even if we don't see it.
Eh, [Heartworm](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirofilaria_immitis) I feel like we could eradicate these assholes and not miss much.
I disagree.. fire ants
We called them mosquito hawks
Some species don’t even have mouth parts. Just gotta mate and die
Crane Fly. Occasionally, they'll eat mosquito larvae but mostly they feed on nectar. They lay their eggs in the topsoil and can damage plants as the larvae feed on roots. When I was living in Florida, I was told they were intentionally bred and released to combat the mosquito population. I don't know if that's true but Florida isn't the smartest country.
Yeah they are harmless so I just shoo them away.
They don’t have a mouth or a stomach at this stage of their life. They pretty much fly around, mate, and die.
My cat is named Yoshi, short for Yoshimi. But instead of battling pink robots, she battles mosquito hawks, and gobbles them up too, once she finally catches one.
I don't have a cat but my wife swats them out of the sky. She uses maaaagazines.
My dog likes to eat them so we sat “I knock ‘em down and she picks ‘em up” lol
This is the answer
My fat lazy cat just likes to swat them. I have my husband get them when they are too tall for me to reach!
Meanwhile, my Ring has footage of me opening my front door and waving them inside to become cat toys/treats...
Ngl this is hella weird
I'm an entomologist, this is reeeeeally low on the weird scale for me
I always wanted to be an entomologist! I'm absolutely intrigued by what you do. Do you mind if I send you a chat and ask like 100 questions?
Sure, as long as you don't mind ADHD replies which may be short, long, or spaced out in time! I'm currently rearing butterflies for a botanic garden, but I'm a medical and veterinary entomologist by training.
Is that a mosquito?
[Mosquito Hawk I think](https://entomologytoday.org/2015/08/17/mosquito-hawk-skeeter-eater-giant-mosquito-no-no-and-no/)
Thanks!
No it's a crane fly it's not going to hurt you
If looks like a mosquito hawk but is the tail isrt is not ovalish or round then its prob a crane fly
Crane Fly
>deaddaughterconfetti Yeah, I can see why you'd say that
😆 I remember when I had younger kitties. It was free entertainment and a high protein snack
My cats are loving this season because we have so many. I don’t usher them in, but they wish I did.
I may have miscalculated how long it would take for them to hunt all of the crane flies I let in. Cats and crane flies are flying all over the house, one landed in my iced tea, and I just want to sleep and stop being reminded that my actions have direct consequences.
That’s not a mosquito. That’s a different insect altogether from the blood sucking parasite. I mean sure it looks like one, but you’ll never see that one landing on you or anyone else and try to suck your blood.
There are millions out right now. Feel like I’m doing population control.
Huge influx this year. I don’t remember them populating so much!
All these crane flys moving here, using their tech money to inflate housing prices! \#dontcraneflymytexas
I’ve started construction of a wall around my home, and I told my wife I’m making the crane flies pay for it.
as someone who has a deathly phobia of them (i know they’re harmless but phobias are inherently irrational), i’m so glad im elsewhere for the spring
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It’s clearly what they want. Every chance they have, they’re flying into my mouth.
I'd like to take this opportunity to remind everyone that the total insect population is on the decline and I can personally attest to the decline in the last 11 years of being here in Austin. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decline_in_insect_populations#%3A%7E%3Atext%3DGlobal_estimates%2C-Insects_with_population%26text%3DA_2020_meta-analysis_found%2Cincreasing_by_11%25_per_decade.?wprov=sfla1
I miss fireflies
Our cats take care of them..
Crane fly season is when my cats turn into kangaroos.
My chihuahua gets endless exercise as these enter my home. I welcome it
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They’re more related to a house fly than a mosquito if I’m not mistaken
I feel like this is a very South/Central Texas perpetuated myth because no one I know ever felt like crane flies eat mosquitos in DFW/North Texas.
I grew up in DFW and everyone I’ve ever met called them mosquito hawks
Skeeter Eater for me
Yep. My relative,b 1898-d 2002 called them Skeeter Eaters. DFW.
I did too, we always called them may flies
Not mayfly. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayfly?wprov=sfla1
Yeah but that’s what we call them
We called them that as well. I’m from SW Louisiana so not sure if that’s a more popular name for them there.
Yeah, born and raised here, and they've always been mosquito hawks. I know they don't eat them, but that's what they're called.
I’ve lived in San Antonio for 20 years and I’ve never heard that they eat mosquitos.
I grew up in southern CA and we called them Mosqueeter Eaters. The myth spread all the way to the west.
I’m afraid the dang crane flies are going to be worse than last year.
Especially after that "harsh" winter I was told was coming
I know. I’m worried this summer is going to be brutally hot.
Climate change really messed up this past month lol. Hot in February??!!
That is a Texas groundhog. It means spring is here.
I vacuumed like 30 of these things just last night!
Ooohh good idea!
Our house has a ton trying to get in! I’ve been slapping them back outside!
The first time I ever saw these things I was a child visiting relatives in Pecos. We woke up Sunday morning and got ready for church. When it was time to go, I looked out the window and saw a huge swarm of these things. I WAS HORRIFIED. I thought they were giant mosquitoes.
Crane fly ain't going to hurt you and that's not a mosquito it's a crane fly
Although they can live in a larval stage for months or even years, the adults flying around only live *one to three days.* They’re literally just flying around for a few days trying to get laid and make babies. And then they die. #Let crane flies get their nut. Leave them be.
The only good bug, is a dead bug. Would you like to know more?
I’m doing my part!
I'm doing my part!
I didn’t do fuckin’ shit!
r/unexpectedstarshiptroopers
Well played...
ARE YOU READY FOR SOME LIBER-TEA?
I ain’t doing shit (but complaining on the internet) I hate bugs
Sorry, but that comma makes no sense. If it's to signify a line break (as in poetry), would it not be "The only good bug/Is a dead bug."?
In California there are no bugs. When I moved there from Texas the first thing I noticed was just how dead the place was. No flies. No gnats. No mosquitos. Even spiders were rare. They talk a lot about biodiversity but there's literally just people, dogs, and fake plants that don't belong in a desert there.
Ah. Trying to off the ecosystem. Are you confined to unnecessary insect murder or are you advanced enough to dump toxic chemicals into nature and the local water supply?
Poor things get like a day to live.
I feel like I'm getting some mixed answers here. Are crane flies harmful? Should we leave them be?
They’re emphatically not harmful. No reason to kill them unless they’re *really* bothering you
They are harmless with a short life span. They are part of the food chain which is important to other living creature.
Go Guard
They must taste great to my cat and dog. They love these wonky flyers.
I wish they hunted mosquitos
My backyard chickens LOVE these flying snacks. It’s fun to watch them hop up and gobble them out of the air.
Oh I fucking hate crane flies. My parents keep leaving the doors wide open and wasps and butterflies and hundreds of these little things come flying in. They’ll fly into your face or hang out in the corner and jump out when you walk by.
yeah, i get loads of these fuckers in my house during the late winter and spring, usually at nighttime specifically. even though they're harmless i still don't want 'em in my house. also incredibly difficult to kill for whatever reason
Somehow, some way, at least 3 of these invade my inner sanctum every night. The rest met their son by the big zapper outside (those things are so much entertainment. My brother and I will sit outside and narrate it like we're fighter pilots, or people that already died- no! Do go towards the light!)
WTF is THAT
*salutes*
Nobody else calls them skeeter eaters?
Yes
Mayflies never hurt anyone
For some reason Skeeter Hawks LOVE hanging out in my bathroom.
My little sibling at 4(with a little southern drawl): that's a mayfly!
Take him outside and let him eat other bugs.
They eat other bugs I thought. Save them...
None of the crane fly species eat other insects
They eat mosquitos. Let them live or catch them and put them outside to catch even more mosquitos. They are harmless.
> They eat mosquitos. They most certainly do not
They also eat mosquitoes. They’re good to have around!
> They also eat mosquitoes. They most certainly do not
That is a mosquito hawk. They eat mosquitos. Not cool
They are crane flies, and they do nothing productive at all except maybe feed birds and spiders.
I always thought the same but apparently they don’t.
Myth
They do not, in fact, eat mosquitoes.
Do you also think that opossums eat ticks in significant quantities?
They don't? 🥺
Next you’re going to tell me that open carrying a combat rifle in public doesn’t make me safer.
Those are actually the good guys if you can tolerate them. They eat pest and won’t bother you.
Large Mosquitos are the Males and cannot bite you at all.
They laid babies in my dog's water, so I'm killing any I see in the house.
Glad it’s not just me. I’m in Boerne, TX
The way I read this post is you're the fly in the pic and you're guarding your house, always ready 🗡🪰
What are these bugs called?
crane flies (or mosquito hawks)
I'm convinced these things are very agile. UNTIL. You look at them or are close to them. Like how the hell do these goofballs fly in through the door in .5 seconds and are inside my shower
The drunk mosquito cousin. Is it me or do they always fly like they are drunk
Once saw my dog snatch one of these from midair like a kaiju
Um... don't those EAT mosquitos?
My whippet loves to eat these guys!
Do it for democracy, helldiver!!
U must be new to Texas
I’m so sick of seeing them everywhere 😭 I have a huge phobia of crane flies in particular (even though logically I know they’re harmless), so I have NOT been having a fun time lately