- look like mosquitoes, but are actually a fly
- spend their very short lives (a few days) attempting mate and lay eggs
- do not bite/sting (nor eat as adults)
- do not carry diseases
- prefer moist areas but are attracted to light at night, which is why they enter our homes
- are eaten by birds, fish, small mammals
- start out as larvae & pupae that feed on decomposing material and are eaten by animals and birds
- are considered mostly beneficial, but in the absence of predators a very high number of larvae can cause damage to turf grass
- are present everywhere in the world, though many local and regional species exist and the ones you see can be native or non-native
As annoying as they can be in our homes, they do absolutely no harm.
More information: http://goo.gl/3OjLF8
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| Photo credits: napamosquito.org |
