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Family Tipulidae - Large Crane Flies

Cranefly - Nephrotoma - female Crane Fly - Nephrotoma eucera - female Wood-boring Tipulid - Ctenophora vittata? - Phoroctenia vittata - male Crane fly Large crane fly - female Crane Fly - Tipula Cranefly - Tipula Large Crane Fly
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Diptera (Flies)
No Taxon ("Nematocera" (Non-Brachycera))
Infraorder Tipulomorpha (Crane Flies)
Family Tipulidae (Large Crane Flies)
Explanation of Names
Tipulidae Latreille 1802
see Tipula
common name alludes to long legs
Numbers
3 subfamilies, with >560 spp. in 12 genera in our area (80% in Tipula), ~4,400 spp. in ~30 genera worldwide(1)
Identification
terminal (fourth) segment of maxillary palpus elongate, longer than first three segments combined (short or subequal to third segment in Limoniidae)
antennae usually 13-segmented (14- or 16-segmented in Limoniidae)
keys to CA spp. in(2)
Range
worldwide and throughout NA(1)
Food
Most larvae are herbivorous. Adults of many species can feed on sugary substances, some frequent flowers. Many species likely do not feed.
Life Cycle
At some stage in their life cycle, crane flies occupy about every habitat on or under a tree.(3)
Larva • pupa • ♀adults
Internet References
(4)