Crane Fly w/ Pseudoscorpion
Dear Bugman,
I love your site! We live in 2nd floor apartment in a porous old house in an old mill town in south central Massachusetts. Starlings have found their way indoors more than once. I’m pretty sure the window screens are just to keep the cats in. So I figure, if we’re going to live with bugs, I should learn their names and habits. Last night while I was brushing my teeth I noticed a crane fly nearby at eye level so I leaned in for a closer look. That’s when I saw the pseudoscorpion, hitching a ride(?). I’m not sure how it’s hanging on there, but it was flexing its free legs to no apparent purpose. The crane fly flew to several spots with the little guy hanging on before landing where I couldn’t see them anymore. Before becoming a regular reader of your site I might have said I saw a mosquito hawk with a OMG-what-is-that-thing on it. But as is it, I knew just who they were. Thanks so much for both the information and the entertainment.
Wendy
Hi Wendy,
We are thrilled to post your photo of Phoresy with a Pseudoscorpion hitching a ride on a Crane Fly.
¶
Posted 27 July 2006
§
‡
°
Key West creatures.
Can you tell me the correct name of what is locally called a "crab spider" and the proper name of the flying insect also included. These were photographed in Key West, FL. Thanks…
Don Leinbach
P.S. an absolutely brilliant site!!
Hi Don,
Your spider is a Crablike Spiny Orb Weaver, Gasteracantha cancriformis, and the flying creature is a species of Crane Fly.
¶
Posted 25 July 2006
§
‡
°
Odd Little Critter
Hey Bugman!
While hiking this morning I ran across this guy, I immediately thought of you (well, after I couldn’t mentally place it in my peterson’s guide [that's in storage]). Any Ideas?
Chad
Hi Chad,
Your photograph of a Crane Fly is so artful. It really seems voyeuristic.
¶
Posted 11 June 2006
§
‡
°
Another bug picture
I have been enjoying my 15 minutes of fame since sending you the cylindrical hardwood borer picture a few weeks ago. Now, it seems everywhere I look I see randy bugs doing it, thinking about doing it, or basking in the afterglow of having just done it. Here’s another picture of goodness knows what doing you know what.
Nancy
Hi Nancy,
We will extend your fame time allottment by posting your photo of mating Crane Flies, sometimes called Mosquito Hawks.
¶
Posted 14 May 2006
§
‡
°
I am trying to find out what this insect is I need this for a yr 11 biology assignment. Thank you
Lucy
Dear Lucy,
Like you, we and our readers crave information. Most importantly, where was this insect located? We are also curious if the biology assignment is for an 11 year old and you are doing the research, or if it is for you. Is it an 11th grade assignment? or has the assignment been in the works for 11 years. Lacking a concrete answer to any of the questions we have, we can nonetheless reply to your query. This is a Tiger Crane Fly, Nephrotoma pedunculata, according to a matching image on BugGuide.
¶
Posted 19 March 2006
§
‡
°
Any idea what this one is?
I’m not too familiar with bugs, but I was intrigued by its long legs and wings. I took this picture in Prescott Valley, Arizona
Thanks,
Glenn Emanuel
Hi Glenn,
This is a Crane Fly in the Family Tipulidae.
¶
Posted 28 February 2006
§
‡
°
Crane fly species (large!)
Here’s a Crane Fly species… I’m in the San Francisco Bay area, is there an endemic species hereabouts? Those are rose bush leaves that it’s landed on… Total size, (including legs) was larger than my hand – and I’ve got large (male) hands! I now realize I should’a provided information on my hand size… my hand measures 8″ across (or about 21 cm…) and the legs on this guy/gal were a little (maybe 1 cm) wider than that… another shot (from a different angle) is attached. Sorry about focus, but that’s a 50mm macro at f/32… Exposure time lost to history.
Paul
Hi Paul,
This is not the Giant Western Crane Fly, Holorusia rubiginosa, but we are not sure what species it is. We will do some additional research.
¶
Posted 01 February 2006
§
‡
°
Spiders, Crane Flies
Folks,
You have a great site — thanks very much. I was preparing some nature pics of my own and used your resources to identify a few things. I’ve included some links below to a few of my pictures. A couple of questions: 1) In "crane_fly2.jpg", the bug has some red blobby things on its back. Any idea what that is? Eggs? 2) I believe that the spider skin is a skin from the spider in Fishing spider, I presume. I found a couple of these skins in the wood pile where the spider lives. It looks hollow to me and appears to have split apart when the spider was shedding it. Does this make sense or is it a dead spider?
Take care,
Andre Paquette
Ottawa Ontario Canada
Hi Andre,
The Crane Fly photo you inquired about is difficult to see, but the red blobs are probably mites which often infest Crane Flies. The skin is indeed a Dolomedes Fishing Spider exoskeleton. We really wanted to identify your beautiful black and white Crane Fly and we found Pedicia albivitta on the Crane Flies of Pennsylvania website.
¶
Posted 02 January 2006
§
‡
°
Yikes!
I found this bug on the cedar shingles outside of a building in upstate NY(on a horse ranch). I’ve never seen anything like it. I was wondering if you can fill me in to whatever you know about it. Thanks.
torch
Hi Torch,
This is a Crane Fly and they are harmless.
¶
Posted 06 November 2005
§
‡
°
2 Cranefly Pics
Love your site. Thought I’d send you these two pictures I took of craneflies in my backyard. One on its own and the other of a mating pair. I wouldn’t have known they were craneflies until identifying them on your site.
Cindy
Ajax, ON CANADA (just east of Toronto)
Hi Cindy,
Sorry for the long delay. We are posting both of your images on our Cranefly page and our second Bug Love page. The images are both stunning.
¶
Posted 27 October 2005
§
‡
°
Hi…..I took this photo on a bush in my front yard in Michigan’s upper peninsula. I found out it’s a Crane Fly but can you tell me the complete name for it. Thanks,
Ron
Hi Ron,
We contacted Eric Eaton to see if he recognized your species of Crane Fly. Here is his reply: “Well, shoot! I recognize it, but forget which genus it is. There is a picture of one in the photo gallery of the World Catalog of Tipulidae website; also pretty sure there is another image on the Crane Flies of Pennsylvania website, and if not, the webmaster of that site, Chen Young could ID your image. Sorry to refer you on again! Eric ” So, we followed Eric’s lead to The Crane Flies of Pennsylvania and discovered an image of your lovely Pedicia albivitta.
¶
Posted 09 September 2005
§
‡
°
WHAT IS IT!!!!!!!!!!
Hi Bugman,
This is Bryce again Freshman of Kittson Central High in northwestern Minnesota. I like to lure bugs close to the house with a light and found what I assume is a Phantom Cranefly, but IT’S ENORMOUS. I put a ruler by it to show you it’s true size. Bryce
Hi Again Bryce,
Yes this is a Crane Fly, probably genus Tipula. Our Audubon Guide says they grow to 2 1/2 inches and yours is considerably larger. This is not, however, a Phantom Crane Fly which has distinctive black and white markings.
¶
Posted 09 September 2005
§
‡
°
rss
