Some folks call them "mosquito hawks" or "skeeter eaters" or "blood suckers."

They're not. None of the above. Crane flies, in the family Tipulidae, don't prey on mosquitoes and they don't suck blood. 

These slender, long-legged insects remind us of runway models. Thin. Demure. Fragile.

Any similarity, though, ends when you see them fly. They fly rather clumsily, wobbly even. 

You've probably seen them around your home, garden or business office. If you do, they're easy to photograph!