also: かがんぼ
noun
crane fly; daddy longlegs
Refers to insects of the family Tipulidae, often mistaken for large mosquitoes but harmless.
夏の夜、窓に大きなガガンボが止まっていた。
On a summer night, a big crane fly was resting on the window.
ガガンボは蚊に似ているけど、刺さないよ。
Crane flies look like mosquitoes, but they don't bite.
Kanji spelling is rare; the word is usually written in kana. The kanji literally mean 'big mosquito'.
蚊 is a mosquito, which bites and is much smaller. ガガンボ is a harmless crane fly often confused with a giant mosquito.
The origin is uncertain. The word is likely mimetic or sound-symbolic, possibly related to the insect's appearance or movement.