Insect ID

[A_T]

Anyone know what this is?

[Paul Wetton]

It's a Crane Fly but not sure what species as this would have to be key'd out.

[Neil Hulme]

To me it will always be Daddy-Long-Legs
Neil

[David M]

To me it will always be Daddy-Long-Legs
Neil

To me as well

September was always the 'epidemic' month for them.

[Mark Colvin]

I'm fairly confident its a female Tipula paludosa.

This is a very common crane fly especially in meadows and pastureland. Their greyish-brown larvae, often known as 'leatherjackets', live in the soil where they destroy the roots of grasses and other plants.

[A_T]

Thanks should have known it was a Daddy Long-legs

[Brian Anderson]

I was going to say Daddy Long Legs but thought somebody would come on with a latin name and put me right.....glad to say i do know a daddy long legs when i see one

[Lee Hurrell]

Am I right in thinking that Crane Flies would be poisonous to humans if thier jaws were powerful enough to pierce our skin?

Cheers

Lee

[Gibster]

Naaaah mate, that's harvestmen. And it's pure urban myth anyway. Both completely harmless to humans, at least pyhsically!

[Lee Hurrell]

Harvestmen spiders?

Damn it - I told that story in the pub only today!

Cheers

Lee

[Gibster]

Harvestmen spiders?

That's blasphemy, Lee! Other than the number of legs...tut tut Hurrell

[Lee Hurrell]

I did say I was in the pub....

[Lee Hurrell]

In my defence, young Gibster, my book does say they 'look like and are closely related to spiders, with thier four pairs of legs.'

However, it goes on; 'unlike spiders, harvestmen have the head and thorax attached to the abdomen without a dividing waist, giving a one piece body.'

It also says there are 26 species in Britain!

So I have learnt something today

Cheers

Lee

[Gibster]

There's more than 26 now Lee, global warming suspected. Unless Martin White has an accomplice in the world of arachnids? (ooh, contentious "young" Gibster lol)

[Lee Hurrell]

It was quite an old book - Reader's Digest Butterflies and Other Insects of Britain (1984)! I have better books, lots of them, but I hold a deep affinity for this series; it was a major part of my childhood. I still take them off the shelf whenever I go to my mum's (she has the whole series).

Indeed....

Cheers

Lee

[Dave McCormick]

Some species of harvestman have huge legs (think its some of the jungle species) and they grow so long that they can break them off as they find it hard to walk.

BTW, I don't know if this is true or not but I was told years ago that these craneflies, if they could bite, their bite would be poisonous? Or am I thinking of some other creature?

[millerd]

There has always been confusion, because craneflies are colloqially known as "Daddy Long Legs" by many, and harvestmen are also popularly called the "Daddy Long Legs" spider. The urban myth has it that the latter have a venomous bite, but as their mouthparts are so small, they could never pierce human skin and are therefore harmless. This muddling of two distinct beasties leads by inevitable word of mouth distortion to the assertion that craneflies are poisonous.

(I say urban myth above, but this bit might have truth in it - does anyone know enough about harvestmen to pronounce either way?).

Dave

[Lee Hurrell]

I thought Gibster had quashed the myth for both species above?

Cheers

Lee

[millerd]

So he did.

NOTE TO SELF: Learn to read

[Lee Hurrell]

Don't worry Dave - I must have told loads of people the wrong information about this over the years!

Cheers

Lee