Crane Fly

Found worldwide in moist environments such as woodlands, grasslands, and marshes. Larvae are typically aquatic or semi-aquatic in soil or decomposing vegetation.

Adults often do not eat and have very short lives; those that do feed on nectar. Larvae (leatherjackets) eat decaying organic matter, plant roots, and fungi.

Poor fliers that often bob up and down while airborne. Most active during twilight or at night. They are frequently attracted to artificial lights and often enter homes by mistake.

Harmless to humans; they cannot bite or sting and do not eat mosquitoes (despite nicknames like mosquito hawks). In the ecosystem, they serve as a critical food source for birds, fish, and other insects.