A LITTLE PRIVACY PLEASE

At the race track recently I found these two Crane Flies (F-Tipulidae) in flagrante delicto, as it were. 

To the untrained eye, they appear to be mosquitoes on steroids....most species are 50 times the size and mass of a mosquito. They are totally harmless insects

Like true flies, they have a complete metamorphosis (egg, larvae, pupa, adult)  and after mating up to 300 eggs are deposited in the soil or moist grass. Depending on temperature, the eggs will hatch within two weeks. The adults live only 10-15 days so getting on with the reproductive process is a top priority.

The adults feed on flower nectar while the larvae feed on decaying vegetable matter.

Best in Large

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