The Invading Insect We Should Never Kill in Texas

(Jacksonville, Texas) - We're already starting to see them around East Texas. They're an annoying little bugger that gets in our home and just fails around. It will eventually stop somewhere just to drive your cat nuts.

The good thing about this insect is that it wants nothing to do with us. It won't bite. It won't charge at you if you get too close. It actually wants nothing more than to just find a dark corner and stay there.

The Invading Insect We Should Never Kill in Texas

Mosquito hawks are a common annoyance in East Texas. The most common myth about mosquito hawks, actual name is crane fly, is that they feed on mosquitos. As great as that sounds, mosquitos are not in their diet. In fact, mosquito hawks don't have the mouthparts to be a predator of mosquitos or of humans.

According to Matthew Bertone, PhD, North Carolina State University Department of Entomology, mosquito hawks eat very little, if at all. He says that some can "sponge up liquids" like dew but most will visit flowers for their nectar. They are harmless to us and cannot bite us nor will they attack us.

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Life Span of a Mosquito Hawk

When you see an adult mosquito hawk, you will only see it for a few days as that is their typical life span. The rest of their life, up to three years, is spent in the larva stage in streams, ponds or other damp places. When they do become an adult, they basically mate for a few days then die (entomologytoday.org).

As we see a lot in East Texas, mosquito hawks can range from being very small to two to three inches in length. Their eyes can also be very large but scientists still don't know how good their eye sight is or how sight is used to fly around.

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Benefits of Mosquito Hawks

Yes, as annoying as mosquito hawks are, they do serve a purpose. In the larva stage, they will feed on decaying organic matter which can release carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus which helps plant growth. Mosquito hawks larva and adults are also food for other animals and insects like spiders, fish, frogs, toads and birds (alamogordonews.com).

Look, mosquito hawks, crane flies, skeeter eater, whatever you call them, are extremely annoying and somewhat scary looking. But don't kill them. If they get in your home, try to shoo them out of the house so they can be a bird or spider's next meal.