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11 Nissan 5761 - April 4, 2001 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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NEWS
Crane Flies are Not Mosquitoes!
By Yated Ne'eman Staff

An onslaught of crane flies swept Jerusalem neighborhoods last week as a result of the drastic changes in weather conditions. The current heat wave, which was preceded by rainfall, brought about the wave of uninvited guests.

Many think that the large crane flies are mosquitoes, but they are not. Prof. Meir Pener, a senior entomologist at the Hebrew University's department of cell and animal biology in Jerusalem, identified the giant bug as members of the Tipulidae family. They are big and grayish black, with extremely long legs and range up to three centimeters long. They are not closely related to the "daddy longlegs" known in the United States, which are non-flying arachnids and related to spiders.

The insects, which are harmless to humans and animals, feed primarily off grass and decaying plant tissue. They are attracted to light, so leaving unscreened windows open at night will bring large numbers of the bugs indoors. They are slow and not too bright, and it is relatively easy to squash them.

The best known species of Tipulidae, the range crane fly, deposits its small black eggs in damp areas. Each egg hatches into a long slender larva called a "leatherjacket" because of its tough brown skin. The larvae feed all winter, and then emerge as insects when sudden heat arrives, as has occurred in the past week throughout Israel.

 

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