.arnli

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In appearance they seem long and gangly, with very long legs, and a long slender abdomen. The wings are often held out when at rest, making the large halteres (balancers) easily visible (also visible on house flies). Unlike mosquitoes, crane flies are weak and poor fliers, with a tendency to "wobble" in unpredictable patterns during flight, but can be caught without much effort. However, it is very easy to accidentally break off their delicate legs when catching them, even without direct contact. This may help them to evade the birds who pursue them as prey. Temperate species range up to 60 mm in size, while tropical species have been recorded at over 100 mm. They are attracted towards light. The females have swollen abdomen (because of eggs held inside) in comparison to the males. The female abdomen also ends in a pointed ovipositor that looks a bit like a stinger.