The larva of a few species eat the larva of mosquitos but more of them eat the roots of grass and are considered a pest by groundskeepers of golfing greens. In general, once they reach the adult stage, they only live to mate and don't eat.
The ovipositor (egg layer) protrudes from the rear of females and it's understandable why some people think they can sting. They can't - They are harmless to humans. My young girls would gently cup them in their hands and remove them to the outdoors. My youngest said it feels "like you're holding a whisper in your hands"
mike Mills
19-Sep-2006 13:38
this is not a mosquito, but it clearly is a Diptera. It is a "Mosquito Hawk" , some species of Crane Fly. The dumbell shaped organs behind the wings are called halteres and they are balancing organs modified from the second set of wings.
