What am I ?

I recently posted this photo on our Facebook page and asked for peoples opinions on what it was. 

Here is the photo

If you guessed a mosquito or daddy long legs then you would be wrong. 

There are over 700 species of crane flies in Australia alone and are often mistaken for mosquitoes. They have slender bodies, long wings and very long legs and can grow over 6cm in length.

Crane flies belong to the order Diptera, as they have two wings and the female has a sharp egg laying organ on her abdomen

They are mostly found near creeks or in damp areas and are frequently found in suburbia in damp moist areas.

Their larvae can be found in fresh water, damp soil or rotting plants and is worm like, cream, greyish to brownish in colour. They feed on eat decaying plants, dead leaves, fungi, or roots of plants.

Did you know that the crane fly is a beneficial insect as they aid in the decomposition of vegetation.

The Adults and larvae are also a source of food for birds, reptiles, fish, spiders and a large range of insects such as dragonfly’s centipedes and beetles.

Crane flies are attracted to lights, and have been seen to swarm around bright lights at night.

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