High temperatures responsible for expected invasion
A record number of crane flies will hatch in the UK, it is anticipated
There will be an explosion of the Tipula maxima species, which grow up to four inches long
They are harmless and live for just a few days
The warm late summer and early autumn will trigger an invasion of giant daddy-long-legs, experts have warned.
A record 200billion crane flies are expected to hatch in the UK this year because above-average temperatures and the right amount of rain will have helped them grow in their underground tunnels.
Most will be the Tipula paludosa species and around an inch long.
But the weather conditions means there has also been an explosion in the population of Tipula maxima, which can grow to up to 4in long.
The insects are harmless, despite the scary buzzing sound they make, and once hatched from larvae known as leatherjackets they live for only a few days, says the charity Buglife.
‘Although they can cause a bit of bother in the homes with their incessant fluttering, they are placid creatures, literally incapable of hurting a fly,’ it said.
‘If you find one, catch it gently, release it outside and wish it well for the rest of its very short life. They play an environmentally important role.
‘Their larvae help enrich the soil and they’re also breakfast, lunch and dinner for birds, bats, amphibians, spiders, other insects, reptiles and fishes.
'The giant daddy-long-legs, which is normally found in damp woodland, has the largest wingspan of any British fly. But don’t let that disturb you, crane flies are completely harmless.’
The origin of the crane fly’s nickname is not known, but some think it may have been inspired by the novel Daddy- Long-Legs, written in 1912 by Jean Webster, about a young orphan.
The girl has an anonymous benefactor, whom she calls Daddy-Long-Legs because he is very tall. In the US, a spider and another species of arachnid are also commonly referred to as daddy-long-legs.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... -legs.html
First they tell us to expect an invasion of ENORMOUS SPIDERS now they tell us to expect 200 BILLION CRANE FLIES and people want to come HERE
