Our granddaughter rushed in from school last week with news of an exciting insect on the wall by her front door. It seemed to her - a tremendous arachnophile - to be a flying spider. What joy!
In fact, as you will have recognised, it is that wonderfully and variously-named fly, the Daddy Longlegs - also known as the Jennyspinner, Gallinipper and Mosquito Hawk. And, much more boringly, as the Crane Fly, the 'correct' term whose origins I have yet to track down.
There are more than 300 types of Daddy Longlegs in the UK and the name is complicated overseas where Daddy Longlegs is often applied to wingless arachnid Harvesters. They are fascinating to look at, all spindly in every direction, and judging by the picture on the left in my composite above, they show every sign of continuing to flourish.
They are particularly active at the moment, emerging from their 'leatherjacket' stage as larvae during which they can do awful damage to noble lawns. On a weekend away in the Kentish Weald, we saw them everywhere, including below the engraved glass porcupine, the symbol of the Sidney family, in the cafe at their excellent stately home, Penshurst Place.
Back at the moth trap, the autumnal procession continues but in reduced numbers as the nights become colder. Below is a Wainscot, Common I think but I want to double-check those darker lines, along with a Black Rustic and that shapely moth, Blair's Shoulder-knot.
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