Cranefly (
Nephrotoma)
They very much resemble large mosquitoes and the larvae live in water or moist soils and lawns.
They may feed destructively on the roots of garden plants. Adults never feed.
The life cycle of crane flies usually consists of a brief egg stage (1-2 weeks), 4 larval stages, and a short pupal stage (1-2 weeks) before emergence of the short-lived adult. Summer as well as winter diapause of certain stages is often noted and, depending on the species and the environmental conditions, the entire cycle may be as short as 6 weeks or as long as 6 years.
They very much resemble large mosquitoes and the larvae live in water or moist soils and lawns.
They may feed destructively on the roots of garden plants. Adults never feed.
The life cycle of crane flies usually consists of a brief egg stage (1-2 weeks), 4 larval stages, and a short pupal stage (1-2 weeks) before emergence of the short-lived adult. Summer as well as winter diapause of certain stages is often noted and, depending on the species and the environmental conditions, the entire cycle may be as short as 6 weeks or as long as 6 years.
