Mystery insect by goodoleboy
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No AI - This artwork was created entirely by hand or with traditional digital tools.
Description
Captured 3/6/08, around 7:30 on a very overcast morning, exactly .62 miles/1 kilometer from my semi sacred sanctuary.
What's been bugging me for years is a lack of the variety of insects in my neighborhood that other RR members are privy to around their immediate locale that they can take fabulous macros of. As you may discern, I am jealous. All I ever encounter are protein-eating ants, a few bees and wasps, plus the ubiquitous roaches, a particular species I can do without, but a creature that will most likely outlast us all.
Anyway, opportunity threw me a bone with this insect, and I took advantage with this macro -- though not as sharp as I wanted -- so if there are any amateur or professional entomologists out there that can identify the above critter, please let me/us know. And I seriously doubt it's a mosquito.
Thanks for coming by on this April Fool's Day.

Comments (17)
great capture !!
It is a crane fly. Excellent shot
Thank you, redchilicat, for the identification! I knew there would be someone out there that knows about this stuff.
fatastic cranefly capture !!....
looks bad to the bones. bet it bite people do like around here
Yep a crane fly. My dad calls them Mosquito Hawks. They don't bite as far as I know :0) Nice photo...
Nice capture. It is indeed a crane fly, or mosquito hawk. They are from the family Tipulidae if you want look them up and they do not bite.
Good thing they DON'T bite, cuz it would be a nasty one~~glad you finally got your insect shot!!
I can not help you identify it but sure you did a good job capture it and realy like a wing details. That wall thou reminds me of a yummy marshmallow...lol.
Excellent shot with fantastic details. I think they don't bite.
Super shot. Their larva are called leatherjackets and live under lawns!
Excellent!
If you like this cranefly, please feel free to come visit up here! We have 'em in abundance. I'll send you a whole bunch if you don't want to make the trip. One day I was having lunch with a friend, and he discovered one of these (dead) in his salad. That is NOT the place for crane flies. The cook said, "Oh! He must have flown in when the door was open!" We didn't eat our meals, and never went back there again.
I'm not familiar with this insect, so thanks for the post and the opportunity to learn something new! Nicely taken and glad you found something unique and different from the ordinary bugs you normally see, Harry.
Brilliant macro of this fly, which has the look of what we call a Daddy long legs over here in the UK. Not saying it is, only it looks similar, or maybe that is the proper name for it???. hugs Jane xx
wow... that's a cool shot, Harry. I've seen swarms of crane flies...but never a wall that color up close before!
These are prolific in the UK around September is when they first show up, if it's particularly warm, they will happily come into the house, attracted by the lights, this is a male, the female has a more blunter abdomen, kind of squareish, Andrea is right about the letherjackets, and they make a great trout bait!...Splendid capture!