What are those insects...

[Simpo Two]

- that look like mosquitos but are 4x the size, and about 1/4 the size of a cranefly? No biting mouthparts, but there seem to be a lot of them about suddenly.

[VTECBOY]

They have been biting me the past few day. Very strange

[Pints]

You mean perhaps the crane fly?



http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crane_fly

[Simpo Two]

No, I know what a cranefly looks like; plenty of those every autumn. These things are 1/4 the size with very small bodies.

[Nightmare]

any chance of getting a pic? cos given the several billion species of insects about, its a relatively tricky one to get from that description

[Simpo Two]

Well, it looks like Pints' picture of a cranefly, but 1/4 the size - about 2cm long.

There are more about today.

[Steve Evil]

I know what you're on about, but I've not grabbed a picture of one, did squash one the other day when I thought it was making the mosquito buzzing noise as I was trying to get to sleep, only to discover there was a genuine mozzy around that needed splatting.

[knotweed]

I'm guessing some kind of gnat?

[FraserLFA]

I don't know what they are but they make a hideous mess when you squish them.

[mrsxllifts]

Quite a lot of people are suffering with Blandford Fly bites this year due to the wet weather but not sure what they look like. I spend 24 hrs in the hospital last week after a mossie bite made my face swell up like the elephant man!

[Simpo Two]

Nope, not one of those: http://ancienttofuture.wordpress.com/2012/05/24/wa...

[FraserLFA]

Blandford fly does bring up some similar looking insects in Google.

[Simpo Two]

Managed to get some photos of one last night. They are all about an inch long (including legs) and look like large mosquitoes but don't have piercing mouthparts:

[tenex]

Looks like one of the smaller crane flies. Maybe a spotted crane fly.

[Simpo Two]

Ah... well they have the same dopey flight pattern as a cranefly, but I didn't realise there were different kinds including very small ones. That must be it then, problem solved!



ETA - but craneflies sit with wings outwards - the above are folded back...

Edited by Simpo Two on Friday 10th August 12:09

[tenex]

Quote: Chinery's Insects. (P 192.)re Crane-flies.

"Larger species generally rest with wings extended,smaller species generally fold wings flat over body...."

( I'm no expert and it could easily be one of the non-biting mosquitos or similar.)

[Trefy5]

Not common at this time of year but may be a Mayfly