Adults: a few days (UC Davis) to about 2 weeks (UF/IFAS; Ohio State: up to 10–14 days). Larvae (leatherjackets): about 9–11 months in the soil, October to June, for the European crane fly (PNW Insect Handbook). Myths: they don't eat mosquitoes and don't bite — adults lack the mouthparts for either (UF/IFAS; Ohio State).
How long do mosquito hawks live?
Not long at all as adults. How long do mosquito hawks live? UC Davis entomologist Lynn Kimsey says adult crane flies "generally live only a few days", and die even sooner if they blunder into a spider web. University of Florida extension staff put the adult life at about two weeks, and Ohio State University at "upwards of 10–14 days". So the mosquito hawk lifespan as a flying adult is somewhere between a few days and two weeks.
The rest of the year they spend underground or in water as larvae. For the European crane fly, a common lawn species in North America and Europe, the larvae live in the soil from October through June and the adults fly from late July through October (Pacific Northwest Insect Management Handbook). Count the whole life and a crane fly lives about a year — almost all of it as a grub.
The same answer applies whatever you call them. "Mosquito eater", "skeeter eater" and "mosquito wolf" are all regional names for crane flies (UC Davis; UWM Field Station), so how long do mosquito eaters live is the same few days to two weeks.
Crane fly lifespan in short
- Adult: a few days to about 2 weeks.
- Egg: about 2 weeks before it hatches (Pacific Northwest Insect Management Handbook; Cornell).
- Larva (leatherjacket): about 9–11 months, October to the following summer, for the European crane fly.
- Whole life: about one year for species with one generation a year.
So how long do crane flies live? About a year in total, but only days to two weeks as the long-legged insect you see on the wall.
What is a mosquito hawk? (Crane flies explained)
A mosquito hawk is a crane fly — a true fly in the family Tipulidae. There are more than 4,000 species worldwide and about 1,500 in North America, and they are named "crane" flies after their long, thin legs (UWM Field Station). "Many people call them 'mosquito hawks', but the accepted common name is the crane fly," notes UF/IFAS Extension. They look like giant mosquitoes, which is where the name comes from — Mississippi State Extension says they "may look like overgrown mosquitoes".
Two other insects share the name. In some regions "mosquito hawk" means a dragonfly (UWM Field Station), and dragonflies really do eat mosquitoes. Crane flies are true flies (order Diptera, UWM Field Station), so they have one pair of narrow wings; dragonflies are a separate group of hunting insects. This page is about crane flies.
Crane fly life cycle: from leatherjacket to adult
Crane flies go through complete metamorphosis: egg, larva, pupa and adult. The crane fly life cycle below is for the European crane fly (Tipula paludosa), which has one generation a year; a close relative, Tipula oleracea, has two (Cornell IPM).
| Stage | What happens | How long | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Egg | Laid in moist soil (or near water for aquatic species) | Hatches in about 14 days (PNW); 1.5–2 weeks (Cornell) | Late summer–autumn |
| Larva (leatherjacket) | Four instars; feeds on decaying plants, roots and grass | October to June — overwinters as a 3rd-instar larva | Autumn–early summer |
| Pupa | Non-feeding, in the soil | Not measured in our sources | July–August |
| Adult | Mates and lays eggs; eats little or nothing | A few days to about 2 weeks | Late July–October |
Sources: Pacific Northwest Insect Management Handbook; Cornell IPM. A female lays up to 300 eggs at or near the soil surface (Cornell), and the eggs need moist conditions to survive.
Leatherjackets
Leatherjackets are crane fly larvae, named for their tough, leathery skin (Cornell IPM; UWM Field Station). Terrestrial species live in damp soil and lawn thatch — Ohio State notes they are "particularly fond of decaying thatch" — and some feed on grass roots and crowns, which is why they're lawn pests in wet regions. Aquatic species live in streams, pond edges and rotting vegetation, where some grow "as large as a pinky finger" and feed fish and amphibians (UF/IFAS). Most leatherjackets eat decaying plant matter (UC Davis). European crane fly larvae spend the winter as third instars, moult to the fourth instar in April, feed through spring and pupate in July and August (Pacific Northwest Insect Management Handbook).
Do mosquito hawks eat mosquitoes or bite?
No and no. Do mosquito hawks eat mosquitoes? "They do not eat mosquitoes," says UC Davis's Lynn Kimsey — "In fact, adult crane flies generally don't eat at all." UF/IFAS Extension adds that adults "do not have the right mouth anatomy to eat other insect prey" and take only water from dew and nectar from plants. Their larvae don't eat mosquitoes either; they eat decaying plants.
Do mosquito hawks bite? No. Crane flies "do not possess the mosquito piercing/sucking mouthparts for taking a blood meal" (Ohio State), they "do not bite" (Mississippi State Extension), and they "neither bite nor sting" (UWM Field Station).
Are mosquito hawks harmful?
Not to people or pets. UF/IFAS calls them harmless; at worst they are a nuisance when large numbers come indoors. The larvae of a few species can thin lawns and young crops by chewing roots in wet years (UWM Field Station; Cornell IPM), so are mosquito hawks harmful to gardens? Occasionally, as leatherjackets — never as the flying adults. Mississippi State Extension says screens and closed doors are the best way to keep them out of the house.
Mosquito hawk vs mosquito: how to tell them apart
They look alike at a glance, but almost everything else differs:
| Mosquito hawk (crane fly) | Mosquito | |
|---|---|---|
| Family | Crane flies, Tipulidae — over 4,000 species worldwide (UWM) | Mosquitoes, Culicidae |
| Bites people? | No — no piercing mouthparts (Ohio State; Mississippi State) | Females do, for blood to make eggs (AMCA) |
| What adults eat | Water or nectar, or nothing at all (UF/IFAS; UC Davis) | Nectar and plant sugars; females also blood (AMCA) |
| Adult lifespan | A few days to about 2 weeks (UC Davis; UF/IFAS; Ohio State) | Most females under 2 weeks, males under a week (Coachella Valley MVCD) |
| Young stage | Leatherjackets in soil, thatch, streams and rotting plants | Wigglers in standing water (CDC) |
| Longest stage | The larva — about 9–11 months for European crane flies | The adult, for most mosquitoes |
Size is the quickest clue: crane flies look like "overgrown mosquitoes" (Mississippi State Extension), with very long, fragile legs. A real mosquito is small, holds its body close to the surface when it lands, and — if it's a female — will try to bite. For how long real mosquitoes live, see the mosquito lifespan calculator.
Why you see so many at once
Because they all grow up together and emerge together. Larvae of species with one generation a year develop in step through the winter and spring, so the adults appear over a few weeks: Ohio State describes "two peak periods" in its landscapes, with some species emerging heavily in spring and others in fall. European crane flies fly from late July through October (Pacific Northwest Insect Management Handbook) or late July to early September in New York (Cornell IPM).
Why are there so many mosquito hawks some years? Wet conditions help: the eggs need moisture and are sensitive to drought, and the larvae thrive in damp soil rich in organic matter (Cornell IPM; Ohio State). A wet autumn and mild winter can mean a big flight the following year.
Mosquito hawk season
The mosquito hawk season depends on the species and the region: spring in the southern US, where UF/IFAS describes a short "spring break" invasion, and late summer to autumn for the European crane fly in the northern US. Either way, each adult lives only days to two weeks, so a swarm that seems endless is actually a series of short lives — and it usually ends within a few weeks.
How this tool works
- Adult: shows the sourced adult lifespan (a few days, UC Davis; about 2 weeks, UF/IFAS; up to 10–14 days, Ohio State). If you enter the date you first saw it, the tool adds the longest figure, 14 days, to give the latest date it is likely to be alive, and shows the end of the European crane fly's late-July-to-October flight season.
- Larva (leatherjacket): shows the larval period (about 9–11 months in the soil, October to June, then pupation in July–August) and, from the date you found it, the adult flight window that follows (Pacific Northwest Insect Management Handbook; Cornell IPM).
- Dates use the European crane fly's calendar in the Northern Hemisphere. Other species, and spring-flying ones, can be weeks or months earlier — the lifespans don't change, only the timing.
We found no source giving a crane fly pupa's duration in days, so the tool doesn't show one.
Frequently asked questions
How long do mosquito hawks live?
As adults, a few days to about two weeks (UC Davis; UF/IFAS; Ohio State: up to 10–14 days). Most of their roughly one-year life is spent as larvae.
How long do mosquito eaters live?
"Mosquito eater" is another name for the crane fly, so the answer is the same: a few days to about two weeks as an adult.
Do mosquito hawks eat mosquitoes?
No. Adult crane flies eat little or nothing — at most water and nectar — and lack the mouthparts to catch insects (UF/IFAS; UC Davis).
Do mosquito hawks bite?
No. Crane flies have no piercing mouthparts and neither bite nor sting (Ohio State; UWM Field Station).
Are mosquito hawks harmful?
Not to people or pets. Their larvae (leatherjackets) can damage lawns in wet years by feeding on roots.
What are leatherjackets?
Crane fly larvae — grey-brown, tough-skinned grubs that live in damp soil, thatch or water and mostly eat decaying plant material.
How long do crane flies live as larvae?
About 9–11 months for the European crane fly: in the soil from October to June, pupating in July and August (PNW Insect Handbook).
When is mosquito hawk season?
Spring in parts of the southern US and late July to October for the European crane fly further north; each adult lives only days to two weeks.
Is a mosquito hawk a dragonfly?
Usually it's a crane fly, but in some regions dragonflies are also called mosquito hawks (UWM Field Station) — and dragonflies do eat mosquitoes.
These calculators give estimates for education. Real flies vary with strain, food, humidity and temperature. For a stubborn infestation, your local cooperative extension service can help identify the insect. We give no pesticide advice.