I see crane flies everywhere but I've never seen them eat anything.
Crane flies usually don't eat after becoming adults. They usually just breed and die. If they do they would eat nectar. As larvae they eat what most larvae do roots and other vegetation in the soil. 2 0 Comment
Adult crane flies do not eat at all; most adult crane flies only mate and then die. Crane fly larvae are called leatherjackets or 'leatherjacket slugs' because of the way they move and eat roots (such as those of grass in lawns) and other vegetation.
Occasionally, its larvae will feed on mosquito larvae. Crane fly larvae mostly feed on roots of forage crops, turf grasses and seedling field crops.
