This is the second of these threads I realize, but I am having some trouble ID'ing this insect. I have never seen it in my life. The thing is, is that i'm also not a complete noob to the insect world. I consider myself an amatuer entomologist, and have severely considered working as an entomologist for my carrer.

Anyway, I think this could be from either a Cranefly, a Scorpionfly, a Thread-waisted Wasp, or something else.

Any ideas?

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Joel.

Disregard this topic, after my Dad and me did some searching, we found that it is actually a Cranefly like I suspected.

Phanton Cranefly



Thanks,
Joel.

creepy looking,reminds me of a spider somehow

cranefly ?? pretty good name for creepy bug,eh ?

Eeek! Creepy.

It's an umbrella.

Those are some really fancy legs, and so long too! The wings seem very small, he must have to work very hard to keep all that body and those legs air born with such tiny wings!?

Well, Craneflies are one of my favourite insects. When my Dad first showed me the picture he had taken, the first thing I thought was Cranefly, just because of the look of the legs. Anyways, the Phanton Cranefly has one of the most interesting flight patterns of most insects i've seen so far. It holds its legs on all one plane, though their legs are not parrallel to the ground they are adjacent, so if you can't imagine that, they hold one pair of legs straight up wards, the second pair straight out, and then the third pair are dangled down, so they kind of look like a snowflake. The other interesting thing is why their coloured like that, which is because while they are flying the white and black will in blend in the background at diffrenet times making parts of the fly invisible. The other cool thing I find about them is that they have no mouth, atleast the common species in my area don't, I don't know if all Craneflies are like that..

Joel.

They have no mouth!? How do they sustain themselves?

IT may be surprising, but many isects don't have mouths in their adult forms. The thing is, they don't actually sustain themselves, their aldult lives consist of flying around, mating, and being eaten/ or dying. Although most insects that are like this have abnormally long periods of time while they are a larvae, usually in excess of 2 or 3 years.

I love bugs too! But I like cute ones, like moths and stink bugs.

it's legs look like mine!

Probably some subspecies of cranefly

It's a bugly headed MF is what it is!!!!

I'd like to see them work out the aerodynamics of that thing, because it looks extremely ungainly.

stink bugs are one of my favs too!

Sorta like a "Daddy Long Leg" no mouth,long legs but daddy long legs are brown.... cute. I love moths!!!

I know what this bug is called, its called "The creepiest thing I've ever seen" lol

Yeah, aren't they the yummiest?

never seen a fly like it but interesting
i suppose theres more we don't know then we do?

........





I like this one much better than his house fly cousin, and probably much easier to smash.

its a spider fly, cool~

I think this is the little known Ichabod Crane Fly.

And yes, a member of the Phantom Cranefly family.

Cool picture.

wow what a find that looks so cool!

It's kind of cute when you squint a little. Then again, this is coming from a girl who thinks jumping spiders are cute and cuddly.