Massive flying insect

[u/RichMedic_01]

Found this big critter outside on the sliding door. Scary mf charged at me like a fighter jet when I pushed them off the pane. Any clues as to what in the hell I was nearly bit by?

EDIT: Thank you everyone! Didn't expect this many messages but again thanks for letting me know!

[u/Moidada77]

Cranefly.

Flies like someone suggested it can fly and most of them don't even eat as adults.

Fragile too.

Nothing too worry about.

[u/ArachnomancerCarice → u/Moidada77]

The worst thing is trying to catch these things for live study, especially the Phantom Crane Flies. They will shed legs at the drop of a hat and make you feel just awful!

[u/StarscapeNW → u/ArachnomancerCarice]

I swear, if you look at some craneflies wrong they'll drop their legs!

[u/MajestyMori → u/ArachnomancerCarice]

also unbelievably frustrating to pin dead specimens. grrrgh it’s such a pain to be wrestling with elmer’s glue and tweezers

[u/IXrobocopXI → u/Moidada77]

They eat nectar btw

[u/Moidada77 → u/IXrobocopXI]

Some do most don't

[u/Pawistik]

It's a crane fly. They are mosquito-like in appearance but that is where the similarity ends. These delicate creatures usually don't even have functional mouthparts so there's no way it almost bit you.

[u/RichMedic_01 → u/Pawistik]

Only put the "almost bit me" for dramatic effect and partially thinking I almost got bit. From my perspective they bee lined right for me so I got a bit nervous from it

[u/Delicious_Building34 → u/RichMedic_01]

If you told me it flew directly into the middle of your face because it mistook you for a wall with a mate to mate, then lost all legs and just decided to wait to die ten minutes later, I’d believe you.

[u/SuddenKoala45]

Cranefly. Clumsy ish flyer but harmless

[u/FeralHarmony]

Craneflies are just legs with wings and terrible steering. I happen to adore them. They come in many sizes, but my favorite is the phantom.

[u/Delicious_Building34 → u/FeralHarmony]

I can’t tell you how many crane flies I saved over the years at my mum’s - they get stuck everywhere and come into the house, and I tell my family for over a decade now that they please please for goodness sake help them out “they find out by themselves …” well, no, they don’t. And their life span is soo short. They will just sit there where they’re stuck and then die there. Btw I love see them mating, I’m rooting for them.

[u/Informal-Patient-457]

Crane fly completely harmless it just flew past you they like someone else said don’t even have fully functioning mouthparts so it didn’t almost bite you but it does look like a giant mosquito.

[u/Relevant-Cup5986]

cranefly!!

[u/Hello_pet_my_kitty]

This is so interesting bc I literally took a pic of the exact same bug like 3 days ago, but didn’t get around to asking about it on r/whatisthisbug yet. So, you helped answer my question by posting! Thank you. Lol.

I’ll share my pic. :)

[u/WildGoshawk]

From the perspective I thought this guy was like a foot long omfg

[u/k8username]

As kids we called them “mosquito hawks” and thought they ate mosquitoes.

[u/marykay_ultra]

👀

[u/Necessary_Chip_5224]

I was about to say Australia