A Day in the Life of a Daddy Longlegs The Species: Crane fly In late summer across the United Kingdom, a familiar, somewhat clumsy insect appears in gardens, hedgerows and living rooms alike: the daddy longlegs. In Britain, this name most commonly refers to the crane fly, a delicate member of the family Tipulidae. With its improbably long flappy legs, narrow wings and wavering flight, it seems far too fragile and uncertain to fly. Yet its life is the product of a precise and well-timed natural cycle. What follows is a glimpse into a single day in the brief adult life of a crane fly. Morning: Stillness in the Grass At dawn, the daddy longlegs clings to a blade of grass in a suburban lawn or meadow edge and the night air has left a trace of moisture along its wings. Its body, slender and segmented, is built more for reproduction than endurance. And unlike bees or butterflies, the adult crane fly does not feed in any meaningful way; its mouthparts are reduced, and its ene...
An Intimate Guide to British Wildlife