Crane flies
adult larva (leatherjacket)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Diptera Family: Tipulidae Latreille, 1802
Genera
this list may be incomplete ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1780x2168, 1790 KB) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Download high resolution version (1465x777, 184 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... For other uses, see Scientific classification (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Animal (disambiguation). ... Subphyla and Classes Subphylum Trilobitomorpha Trilobita - trilobites (extinct) Subphylum Chelicerata Arachnida - spiders,scorpions, etc. ... Orders Subclass Apterygota Archaeognatha (bristletails) Thysanura (silverfish) Subclass Pterygota Infraclass Paleoptera (Probably paraphyletic) Ephemeroptera (mayflies) Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) Infraclass Neoptera Superorder Exopterygota Grylloblattodea (ice-crawlers) Mantophasmatodea (gladiators) Plecoptera (stoneflies) Embioptera (webspinners) Zoraptera (angel insects) Dermaptera (earwigs) Orthoptera (grasshoppers, etc) Phasmatodea (stick insects) Blattodea (cockroaches) Isoptera (termites) Mantodea (mantids) Psocoptera... For other uses, see Fly (disambiguation) and Flies (disambiguation). ... Pierre André Latreille. ... Subfamily Cylindrotominae Cylindrotoma Liogma Phalacrocera Triogma Subfamily Limoniinae Tribe Eriopterini (27 genera) Tribe Hexatomini (15 genera) Tribe Limoniini (7 genera) Tribe Pediciini (5 genera) Subfamily Tipulinae Brachypremna Ctenophora Dolichopeza Holorusia Leptotarsus Megistocera Nephrotoma Prionocera Tipula

Insects in the family Tipulidae are commonly known as crane flies. Adults are very slender, long-legged flies that may vary in length from 2–60 mm (tropical species may exceed 100 mm). Orders Subclass Apterygota Archaeognatha (bristletails) Thysanura (silverfish) Subclass Pterygota Infraclass Paleoptera (Probably paraphyletic) Ephemeroptera (mayflies) Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) Infraclass Neoptera Superorder Exopterygota Grylloblattodea (ice-crawlers) Mantophasmatodea (gladiators) Plecoptera (stoneflies) Embioptera (webspinners) Zoraptera (angel insects) Dermaptera (earwigs) Orthoptera (grasshoppers, etc) Phasmatodea (stick insects) Blattodea (cockroaches) Isoptera (termites) Mantodea (mantids) Psocoptera... The hierarchy of scientific classification In biological classification, family (Latin: familia, plural familiae) is a rank, or a taxon in that rank. ... A millimetre (American spelling: millimeter, symbol mm) is an SI unit of length that is equal to one thousandth of a metre. ...

Numerous other common names have been applied to the crane fly, many of them more or less regional, including, mosquito hawks, mosquito eaters (or skeeter eaters), gallinippers, gollywhoppers, and jimmy spinners. In the United Kingdom they are commonly referred to as daddy long-legs, but this name can also refer to two unrelated arthropods: members of the arachnid order Opiliones (especially in the United States) and the cellar spider Pholcidae (especially in Australia). Daddy Long-legs (Kidari ajeossi) is a 2005 South Korean romance film. ... Extant orders Acarina Amblypygi Araneae Opiliones Palpigradi Pseudoscorpionida Ricinulei Schizomida Solifugae Uropygi Wikispecies has information related to: Arachnida Arachnids are a class (Arachnida) of joint-legged invertebrate animals in the subphylum Chelicerata. ... Diversity 4 suborders Suborders Cyphophthalmi Eupnoi Dyspnoi Laniatores Harvestmen (also known as daddy long-legs) are eight-legged invertebrate animals belonging to the order Opiliones (formerly Phalangida) in the class Arachnida, in the subphylum Chelicerata of the phylum Arthropoda. ... The Daddy long-legs spider, also called the cellar spider or house spider, is a true spider and not a harvestman. ... Diversity 80 genera, 959 species Genera Holocnemus Modisimus Pholcus Smeringopus Spermophora many others The Pholcidae are a spider family in the suborder Araneomorphae. ...

At least 14,000 species of crane flies have been described, most of them (75%) by the specialist Charles Paul Alexander. This makes the Tipulidae the largest family of Diptera. Charles Paul Alexander was an American entomologist born September 25, 1889, in Gloversville, New York. ...

Morphology

A crane fly, exhibiting the distinctive long, delicate legs

In appearance crane flies seem long and gangly, with very long legs, and a long slender abdomen. The wings are often held out when at rest, making the large halteres (balancers) easily visible. Unlike mosquitoes, crane flies are weak and poor fliers with a tendency to "wobble" in unpredictable patterns during flight, and they can be caught without much effort. However, it is very easy to accidentally break off their delicate legs when catching them, even without direct contact. This may help them to evade the birds who pursue them as prey^{[citation needed]}. Crane flies are variable in size, with temperate species ranging from 2 mm up to 60 mm, while tropical species have been recorded at over 100 mm ^{[citation needed]}. The Giant Crane Fly (Holorusia rubiginosa) of the western United States can reach 38 mm (1.5 inches). Some Tipula species are 64 mm (2-1/2 inches). There are many smaller species (known as bobbing gnats) that are mosquito-sized, but they can be distinguished from mosquitoes by the V-shaped suture on the thorax and a lack of ocelli^{[citation needed]}. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1280 × 960 pixel, file size: 106 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) A close-up picture of a Crane Fly on a doorframe File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1280 × 960 pixel, file size: 106 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) A close-up picture of a Crane Fly on a doorframe File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this... Halteres, (singular halter or haltere) from the Greek word for dumbbells, are small knobbed structures homologous to wings and flapped to maintain stability when flying. ... For other uses, see Mosquito (disambiguation). ... For the usage in virology, see temperate (virology). ... Diagram of a tsetse fly, showing the head, thorax and abdomen The thorax is a division of an animals body that lies between the head and the abdomen. ... An ocellus (plural: ocelli) is a type of photoreceptor organ in animals. ...

The females have swollen abdomens in comparison to the males because they contain eggs. The female abdomen also ends in a pointed ovipositor that looks a bit like a stinger but is completely harmless. This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Adult mouthparts may occur on the end of the crane fly's long face, which is sometimes called a snout or a short rostrum.

Larvae have a distinct head capsule, and their abdominal segments often have long fleshy projections (almost like tentacles).

Ecology

Despite their common names, crane flies do not prey on mosquitoes as adults, nor do they bite humans. Some larval crane flies may on occasion feed on mosquito larvae.^[1] Adult crane flies feed on nectar or they do not feed at all; most crane fly species live only to mate and die once they become adults. Their larvae, called "leatherjackets" or "leatherjacket slugs" because of the way they move, consume roots (such as those of turf grass in backyard lawns) and other vegetation, in some cases causing damage to plants. Therefore the crane fly is occasionally considered a mild turf pest in some areas. In Greek mythology, nectar and ambrosia are the food of the gods. ... Rolled sod Sod is turf and the part of the soil beneath it held together by the roots, or a piece of this material. ... Larval form of some beetle is damaging specimen of Sceliphron destillatorius in entomogical collection. ...

Of the juvenile biology of many crane fly species little is known. The larvae of less than 2% of the species have been described. Of those that have been described, many prefer moist environments, and some leatherjackets are aquatic.

The long legs are an adaptation to allow the fly to alight in grassy places.

Crane flies serve as a food source for many birds. For other uses, see Bird (disambiguation). ...

Species lists

• Palaearctic

• Nearctic

• Japan

• Australasian / Oceanian includes family account by Pjotr Oosterbroek

See also

• Crane fly orchid (Tipularia discolor)

This page is a candidate for speedy deletion, because: it is patent nonsense. ...

External links

Look up crane fly in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Tipulidae

• Family descriptions and images
• Ohio State University Fact Sheet
• Crane Flies of Pennsylvania Extensive Specimen Collection, Carnegie Museum of Natural History
• Crane Fly Tipula (Platytipula) paterifera Diagnostic closeup photos and information
• Crane Fly Tipula dorsimacula Reference photographs of female ovipositing
• Catalog of Craneflies of the World
• Family Tipulidae
• Image Gallery from Diptera.info
• Image Gallery from Bug Guide Extensive photo gallery, many species
• Japanese Tipulidae In Traditional Chinese but images are under Latin binomials]
• Grass damage Damage caused to grass by Crane Fly larvae

Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wiktionary (a portmanteau of wiki and dictionary) is a multilingual, Web-based project to create a free content dictionary, available in over 150 languages. ... Image File history File links Commons-logo. ...

References

• Oosterbroek, Pjotr. "Tipulidae" http://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/aocat/tipulidae.html