Help Identify this Insect - Knowledgebase Question

Hilton, Ne
Question by judithrohr
September 21, 2010
Hello. We have a plethora of what appear to be giant mosquitoes. They like to hang around in the lawn, and when you walk on it, they scatter and fly. They do not have a 'stinger' (that we can see) like a mosquito has. They are golden brown in color, approx 1

Answer from NGA
September 21, 2010


What you describe sound like craneflies, sometimes called mosquito hawks. You're right, they don't sting. They don't even eat. Their sole purpose is to mate and lay eggs before they die (their lifespan is extremely short - a matter of days). Their eggs are laid on the soil surface in your lawn. The eggs hatch and the larvae feed on the roots of the grass. Then they pupate and when they are mature enough they hatch into adults. Generally they are not considered a problem in lawns unless there is a huge population. If so, you may want to treat your lawn with a grub control product early next spring. Spectracide, Grubex and Bayer Advanced Grub Control will reduce the population of cranefly larvae in your lawn.


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