View allAll Photos Tagged mosquitohawk
Crane Flies look like giant mosquitos, but they do not bite. They somehow gained a reputation as mosquito eaters, but the adults don’t eat anything at all - they only live 10 – 15 days.
Happy Sliders Sunday!
Submitted to the TMI Winged Insects July contest.
Here's a Crane Fly nectaring on Wild Chervil. I don't know why Crane Flies are often called Mosquito Hawks. I've watched them a good deal but never seen them pursuing Mosquitoes. Now and then Olymp has caught them savoring nectar. This male is doing just that. You can tell he's a male by the thickened abdomen; females have a pointed abdomen where, of course, the ovipositor is located.
PS Indeed, the internet tells me that they don't hunt Mosquitoes.
Crane Flies are delicate, long-legged insects. Upon finding them in my house, I like to transport them gently into the outside world. This creature had been captured in a clear glass container. Seemingly traumatized by the event, it slowly crawled out onto the surface of the glass...resting for several minutes before taking wing. I found this macro image allowed me to appreciate the intricate structures of this flying beauty.
Evinrude is a fictional character in the Disney animated film “The Rescuers.” He is a small green dragonfly and best friend of Bernard and Miss Bianca, who are the main characters of the movie. Evinrude is known for his energetic and adventurous personality and is often seen as a comic relief in the movie. He is able to fly and is able to pull the tiny boat that Bernard and Bianca are traveling on to help them in their rescue mission of a little girl named Penny.
This guy made an impression, I must say
But not before I zoomed in and saw what Ring Of The Lords-dude I had captured 😁
I wonder if this was mini Sauron
This fellow showed up on our glass door to the deck early Sunday morning and stayed for most of the day...
Speed light with small handheld diffuser from the left.
A member of the Tipuloidea superfamily - first appeared around 245 million years ago during the Middle Triassic period. Sometimes called "Daddy Long-Legs" or "Mosquito Hawks." Adults have a lifespan of 10 to 15 days. They generally do not feed, although some species may consume nectar, pollen, and/or water. - Wikipedia
Large dragonfly on a canna bud.
Edge of our pond. I will identify when I get home in several days.
The canna opened into a stunning scarlet red flower, that the dragonfly continued to use as a perch.
As you can see, I was having fun with this little poser. I haven't been out chasing bugs for quite a while, and this brought back memories of when I was shooting almost all macro and bug shots. It's still a lot of fun...^+^
Enjoy the long weekend!...^+^
While picking wild black berries, I came across this HUGE [hard to tell here, but he was BIG] colorful dragonfly. This is a male, and he seemed to be enjoying the tasty treat. [Taken w/my Nikkor 80-400mm @ 400mm....slight crop but not much].
Also known as Mosquito Hawk, Blue Snake-hawk, Hovering Kite, and Locust-eater. This species was diving and snatching some grasshoppers from an open field.
I found this guy on my walk this morning. It is interesting how long his legs are and how he is using them to stay put. Thanks for the ID Paul - this is a Crane Fly. Although they are sometimes referred to as Daddy Long Legs - this isn't the Daddy Long Legs that I am familiar with - the ones I know don't have wings.
I have settled on the Four-stripped dragonfly (Phyllogomphoides stigmatus). This particular species dragonfly prefer mud bottom ponds, stock ponds, and favor perching on twigs and wire fences. Although dragonflies are referred to as mosquito hawks, many of the larger dragonflies will take larger insects as prey. This was also ans experiment with my 500 mm lens and a 22 mm extender. Although this worked out, I don't recommend it, unless you are adpept at tracking your subject.
Anyone having positive identification is welcome to ID.
Using the same make shift set up with my SB700 firing it hand held with the pop-up onboard flash on the D750.
I'm 72 years old, a country boy, and I just learned that Dragonflies and Mosquito Hawks are not the same things. I've called Dragonflies 'skeeter hawks' my entire life, but just found out that Mosquito Hawks are actually Crane Flies.
What a naturalist I am.
Spring time in San Diego means the arrival of what many non-locals think is a GIANT monster mosquito. The common name “mosquito hawk” is sometimes given to these flies; however the name usually comes with the belief that these clumsy, long-legged insects are predators, perhaps on mosquitoes. Nothing could be further from the truth. Crane flies are among the gentlest of insects. Some are nectar feeders, sipping sweet sugars from plants and possibly helping out a little with pollination in the process. Other species lack mouth parts entirely. Instead, the adults live out their short lives relying on fat reserves built up during their underground larval stage
Making more crane flies to come in my house at night & entertain my cats.
Large Crane Fly (subgenus Lunatipula sp.)
My photos can also be found at kapturedbykala.com
Spotted this dragonfly and frog [ below ] on our hike this morning. [ I'm taking a break from posting cat images...ha]
Above: Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis)
Below: American Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana)
“Like a dragonfly skimming the surface of the water; touch on something without going into it deeply.” – Unknown
Dragonflies, an amazing and unique insect, are from the order Odonata and the Anisoptera suborder. The attractive characteristic of this creature is the multifaceted large eyes, an elongated body and four transparent and strong wings, with colored markings. Dragonflies can fly in any direction, including sideways and backward, and can hover in a single spot for a minute or more. This amazing ability is one factor in their success as aerial ambush predators
The female is the larger of the two. They both have pretty green eyes but hers are less emerald than his. This genus of crane fly is identified by the venation pattern on the wings. Got my id from insect experts on the bugguide site.
Female Tiger Crane Fly (Nephrotoma sp.)
My photos can also be found at kapturedbykala.com
This insect had the most amazing eyes which went well with its golden body. It was on a window screen at my home.
Male Large Crane Fly (Tipula sp.)
My photos can also be found at kapturedbykala.com
March is when the crane flies invade us. At night they come in the house with every opened door. As a child I called them mosquito hawks although they are not mosquitos nor do they eat mosquitoes so no clue where that name came from. They don't live very long so these two were not wasting any time continuing their bloodline in my yard. Turned out to be a new kind of crane fly for me.
Male & Female Tiger Crane Flies (Nephrotoma sp.)
My photos can also be found at kapturedbykala.com
See his pretty eyes? The males are smaller than the females. Got my shots and left them alone to do their thing.
Male Tiger Crane Fly (Nephrotoma sp.)
My photos can also be found at kapturedbykala.com
Well, really it's the same one. I won't pull your leg here, I just wanted to present another shot that I think came out really nice. In this shot, I tried to get a better overall view of the mosquito hawk rather than a dramatic one. I know it's a little simple but I like the way it almost looks like it's a drawing.
I spotted this Crane Fly and was trying to capture the long legs it has!! AKA Gollywopper lol I like that name best tee hee.
"Numerous other common names have been applied to the crane fly, many of them more or less regional, including mosquito hawk, mosquito eater (or skeeter eater), gallinipper, gollywhopper, and jimmy spinner."
A very large but harmless species of fly. I found this one on a walk in my neighborhood, sitting on a limestone sill. Sometimes called mosquito hawks, these insects do not kill other insects. They don't feed as adults but survive on organisms in the soil as larvae.
Neither Wasps nor Hornets Can Compare -
After trudging through the mighty big forest, my little legs foot on a trunk to rest. I have six ruby apples but the fruit fly wanted my sandwich. I waved my hand to send him off but he persisted for over a minute. Did he wish for the morsel of sardine caught between my teeth? Chomping down the last bite I stood up from my improvised seat. What’s that? I moved closer to the leaf blossom. A fly with the legs of cranes sat in wait as if on a planned date.
I gasped, “You’re p-perfect for me!”
“Why? You find me handsome or unique?” the fly asked in surprise, and then blush.
“Cocktail stick or sewing needle, whatever you call that thing between your eyes, the length so long it’s just right for me,” I replied.
“I have it since birth,” said the fly, “right angle at first but toppled rearward after exceeding half meter in height.”
“Pinocchio told lies. Goldilocks finished the bear’s porridge without asking. Superman wore his briefs on the outside. What did you do wrong?” I asked.
The fly answered, “Never did anything to deserve it.”
“Aw, if it slumps ahead you are in the same league as the narwhal whale with helical horn,” I told him dryly.
He rebuked, “Better not, my rod is to fish a mate. Facing forth, surely it will bent in many places. Poke a fire with a stick, it only grows. Furthermore the ladies will scream, ‘Take your infernal javelin out of my face!’”
“An absolute freak you are, I love your peculiarity.”
“I t-t-think you are mad,” he spoke with an earthquake in his throat.
“Let’s get to the point. I’m after collectible toothpick and I want your mesquite twig to pick my teeth!” the words came out of my mouth sharp as blade.
I listened eagerly for a reply but this time he said nothing, only smiled with a look that could only mean yes.
Hee-hee … I reached down my bag slowly for the pliers. My sneakers almost squeaked out an evil laugh as I'm pulled in by the magnet of his spike.
The acrobat. He landed there on one leg and held himself like that for a while. By the time I got my camera out and white-balanced, though, he had decided three legs were better.
Dragonfly sitting on bamboo flowers.
Any of numerous stout-bodied, non stinging insects having iridescent wings of the order Odonata (suborder Anisoptera), the species of which prey on mosquitoes and other insects and are distinguished from the damselflies by having the wings outstretched rather than folded when at rest.
Shot at 300mm, hand held.
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Regional Names;
Regional terms for the dragonfly are numerous—the Dictionary of American Regional English lists nearly 80 of them. The greatest variety of terms is to be found in the South, where the most widespread term is snake doctor (a name based on a folk belief that dragonflies take care of snakes). The Midland equivalent is snake feeder. Speakers from the Lower South and the Mississippi Valley, on the other hand, are more likely to refer to the same insect as a mosquito fly, mosquito hawk, or, in the South Atlantic states, a skeeter hawk. The imagery outside the South often alludes to the insect's shape rather than its behavior or diet: speakers in the West, Upper North, and New England call it a darner, darning needle, or, less commonly, a devil's darning needle, and those in the Upper North also refer to it just as a needle; those in Coastal New Jersey, a spindle; and those in the San Francisco Bay area, an ear sewer, that is, a creature that sews up your ears.
Cranefly, Mosquito Hawk, Gallinipper, Gollywhopper, Jenny Longlegs, Species unknown. COMMON. More than 500 genera and 15,00 species have been identified. In some areas they are considered agricultural pests, although adults have no anatomical structures for eating, some species may sip nectar. Larval forms are important to soil ecosystems.
Casa Smiff, Marana, Pima County, Arizona, USA.
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My cats are thrilled that every time I open a door, snacks fly in.
Female Common Crane Flies (Tipula sp.)
Garland, Texas
My photos can also be found at kapturedbykala.com