Insects Content

No, They Don’t Eat Mosquitoes

Andy Fell — March 30, 2026 - 3:38pm

Some folks call them "Mosquito Hawks" or "Daddy Long Legs" or "Skeeter Eaters." But they're not hawks, they're not arachnids, and they don't eat mosquitoes. They are crane flies, members of the family Tipulidae of the order Diptera (flies).

With the temperatures rising, crane flies are everywhere right now, looking for mates. They are landing on your plants, bumping into walls and windows, and getting tangled (and eaten) in spider webs.

Student Entomologists Gain Hands-On Skills in Insect Biology

Jocelyn C Anderson — May 28, 2024 - 9:00am

Discover how student researchers are gaining hands-on biology and entomology skills and protecting pollinators through the Insect Scholars Program.

51�ԹϺ�� Davis Bohart Museum of Entomology Receives $1 Million Gift

Amy M Quinton — March 01, 2022 - 3:00pm

Bill Patterson, longtime butterfly collector and supporter of the University of California, Davis, is giving $1 million to the R.M. Bohart Museum of Entomology to help maintain its permanent insect collection.

6 Critters You Might See This Summer

Cody Kitaura — August 15, 2017 - 9:45am

Summer may mean the emergence of some creepy, crawly (and slithery) critters, but that isn’t always a bad thing, 51�ԹϺ�� Davis experts say. From many-legged creatures commonly found around your home during the summer to legless animals you might see out on a summer hike, here’s what our experts say about the critters of summer — and what our wet winter means for many of them.

Diversity as Natural Pesticide

Katherine E Kerlin — October 12, 2016 - 11:50am