Cranefly on Newington Green

Cranefly or Daddy Long Legs ~ Tibula paludosa

The cranefly with its long fragile legs, is completely harmless to humans. The larvae of some species of craneflies are called leather jackets and are unpopular with gardeners because they eat the roots of grasses and leave bald patches in the lawn.

However, this humble little insect is in trouble, for climate change appears to be reducing the numbers of craneflies up to 95% in areas where peat bogs are drying out because of a rise in the temperature. RSPB Scotland (March 2009) are so concerned that young birds which normally feed on craneflies will starve to death, that they are now managing their nature reserves in a way that supports craneflies and their larvae.

Maybe a few bald patches in our lawns is a price worth paying if it means we keep our daddy long legs and these in turn help to feed our birds. It is good to see some craneflies on Newington Green.

You can find more information about this topic here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/7963088.stm

Mary Wollstonecraft ran a school on Newington Green for a while, as well as being an author and influential early feminist. Wollstonecraft wrote a short book about her thoughts on education whilst at Newington Green and she advocated that parents should teach their children to have 'good will to the human race' and also to animals, which 'many children tyrannize with impunity; and find amusement in tormenting or wantonly killing, any insect that comes in their way, though it does them no injury. I am persuaded that if they were told stories of them, and led to take an interest in their welfare and occupations, they would be tender to them'.... and that 'stories of insects and animals are the first that should rouse the passions, and exercise humanity....' in children.

Thoughts on the Education of Daughters 1787.

Thanks to Richard Meyers for identifying which crane fly this is.

28 September 2009