Crane flies
again and feed voraciously when the soil begins to warm up in spring. The larvae pupate below the soil surface in summer. The pupal stage lasts about two weeks [...] General The larvae of crane flies , called leatherjackets, live in the soil and feed on roots and shoots (which they pull into the ground of mainly grasses [...] on the soil surface. Larvae are cylindrical, tapering toward the head, and grey-brown in colour. Larvae have 4 instars (larval stages) an reach 2.5 cm