Ferny Glade II
A cranefly (often mistaken for gigantic mosquitoes) rests on a half-matured Interrupted Fern. Truth is, crane flies (depending on the species) either don't feed at all as adults or feed briefly on nectar. They are weak fliers and can grow quite large, and look to me like flying granddaddy longlegs. Their larvae are aquatic, so of course we have rather many of them down here along the creeks.
And since several of you mentioned EATING fern fiddleheads, I wouldn't: unless you're sure that you are NOT eating the globally-ranging Bracken Fern, which is carcinogenic. Eaten and enjoyed are the very similar fiddleheads of Ostrich Fern, which we don't have down this far south. I know it from one specimen at Mt. Lake Biological Station, and like it because its name is fun to say: Matteuchia struthioptheris.
Comments
For years I've been telling people who aren't from the South that craneflies are NOT giant mosquitoes. I knew from experience that they don't bite, but I didn't know what they are.
Posted by: LinB | May 13, 2005 7:10 AM
Around here people call them mosquito hawks, the myth being that they eat mosquitoes. (But perhaps they eat mosquito larvae in their larval form?)
Posted by: Pica | May 13, 2005 1:23 PM
Wow great pic Fred!
I'd heard that too, that they eat mosquitoes... no idea what they really eat.
Thanks for supplying the real name.
Posted by: Rurality | May 14, 2005 9:45 PM