3 and 300
Daddy Longlegs only live for three days. I don’t think they even eat as adults.
There are about 300 British species. Here’s one in Orkney. It’s a shame that the double-glazing panels have failed and that algae and fungi have started to grow between the panes. It does make a very decorative background, though:
Daddy Longlegs are beautiful and fascinating. According to the racist Daily Mail owned by a tax avoiding billionaire:
“Biblical: There’s a new alert today of a plague of almost 200 billion crane flies descending on Britain”
Descending? They live here. They’re not immigrants.
“First came the spiders now prepare for invasion of DADDY LONG LEGS: UK homes will be taken over by giant flying insects thanks to erratic weather.”
Giant flying insects will take over your home? It’s such a shame that this is the standard of interpretation of interaction with the natural world that most people have.
I’ve been walking up the River Otter and want to get a closer look at this one:
That face though.
Don’t have nightmares. Please do sleep well.