Not Hungry. Crane Fly, Nephrotomo sp., on Dandelion, Meuse Corridor, Venlo, The Netherlands
At first I was a bit surprised to see an insect on Dandelion's seed puff. Nothing there in the way of proteins, either pollens or nectar. Then I remembered that Crane Flies during adulthood don't eat. In fact, their mouth parts make it impossible for them to eat anything. Their adulthood, of course, is very short. The larvae, though, can be quite voracious and they're often a pest that destroys the roots of field crops. I'm not sure of the species of our insect, perhaps Flavescens or maybe Appendiculata...
Not Hungry. Crane Fly, Nephrotomo sp., on Dandelion, Meuse Corridor, Venlo, The Netherlands
At first I was a bit surprised to see an insect on Dandelion's seed puff. Nothing there in the way of proteins, either pollens or nectar. Then I remembered that Crane Flies during adulthood don't eat. In fact, their mouth parts make it impossible for them to eat anything. Their adulthood, of course, is very short. The larvae, though, can be quite voracious and they're often a pest that destroys the roots of field crops. I'm not sure of the species of our insect, perhaps Flavescens or maybe Appendiculata...