What's The Harm In Daddy Long Legs?

The last few daddy long legs have managed to bumble their way in to the house and are now flapping against a tall standard lamp in the corner of the living room. Like a man trapped in a prison cell, they can't seem to break free from the glow of the lamp as they fly into the lampshade time after time. It's like watching a plane crash land as it bumps into the ground and then lifts up a bit, hovering for a few feet before hitting the deck again. I had left the front door open as I carried out my ritual of emptying the day's re-cycling into the outside re-cycling bins and without hesitation the hallway light had attracted the bungling bugs as though a sign with 'Utopia' had welcomed them in.

It's amazing how many people are scared of these harmless creatures.Some people react with horror as though they are just about to face a firing squad. What is it that frightens them? Could it be the apparent random movement and dis-organised flight of these gangly creatures? Is it the buzzing noise that sounds as though everything they touch is charged with static electricity? Could it be the 'stinger' on some of them that looks a quite nasty piece of equipment?

So what exactly is a daddy long legs? It's a nickname given to the crane fly. Crane flies belong to an insect family called Tipulidae. The larvae of the crane fly has an equally unusual name in that they are known as Leatherjackets. In other parts of the world the crane fly is also known as the Mosquito Hawk, Gallinipper and Gollywhopper.


So what is this insect with more nicknames than an American wrestling star's tour? There are over 4,000 species of Crane Fly. The crane fly we all know and love has a long slender body with six brittle legs. The legs will detach from the body if the the crane fly is trapped. A favourite pastime of children seems to be to pull off crane fly legs to 'see what happens'! They have two strange antennae just behind their head. These are in fact called 'halteres'. They are the remnants of wings that have evolved into balancing devices. They obviously don't work very well with the crane fly though!

The 'stinger' is in fact called the 'ovipositor'. It's on the end of the female abdomen and it's where she lays her eggs from. It's completely harmless and does not sting at all.

The crane fly spends the majority of it's life as a leatherjacket (larvae). The leatherjacket lives primarily in lawns feeding off the roots of grass and other plants. It is considered a pest in somecases as large areas of prize lawn can be damaged causing bald patches.

Around late July, August and September leatherjackets start to emerge from the soil as crane flies with just one purpose in life. They mate within 24 hours and then die.

Along with spiders, the daddy long legs is one of the most feared of all insects that invade our homes. Yes, that's right! It does not sting, does not bite, when you touch it it's legs fall off and it flies like a model aircraft in the hands of a chimpanzee.

The next time you find one in your home, cup it in yours hands and release it in the garden. The poor thing needs to mate before it ends up in daddy long legs heaven!

Written by Nature Boy for Animal Days Out