Crane fly is a common name referring to any member of the insect

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Tipulidae. Cylindrotominae, Limoniinae, and Pediciinae have been ranked as subfamilies of Tipulidae by most authors, though occasionally elevated to family rank. In the most recent classifications, only Pediciidae is now ranked as a separate family, due to considerations of

paraphyly In taxonomy, a group is paraphyletic if it consists of the group's last common ancestor and most of its descendants, excluding a few monophyletic subgroups. The group is said to be paraphyletic ''with respect to'' the excluded subgroups. In ...

. In colloquial speech, crane flies are sometimes known as "mosquito hawks", "skeeter-eater", or "daddy longlegs", (a term also used to describe

opiliones The Opiliones (formerly Phalangida) are an order of arachnids colloquially known as harvestmen, harvesters, harvest spiders, or daddy longlegs. , over 6,650 species of harvestmen have been discovered worldwide, although the total number of ext ...

(harvestmen) and members of the spider family Pholcidae, both of which are arachnids). The

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. ...

e of crane flies are known commonly as leatherjackets.

Crown group In phylogenetics, the crown group or crown assemblage is a collection of species composed of the living representatives of the collection, the most recent common ancestor of the collection, and all descendants of the most recent common ancestor ...

crane flies have existed since at least the

Barremian The Barremian is an age in the geologic timescale (or a chronostratigraphic stage) between 129.4 ± 1.5 Ma (million years ago) and 121.4 ± 1.0 Ma). It is a subdivision of the Early Cretaceous Epoch (or Lower Cretaceous Series). It is preceded ...

stage Stage or stages may refer to: Acting * Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions * Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage" * ''The Stage'', a weekly British theatre newspaper * Sta ...

of the

Early Cretaceous The Early Cretaceous (geochronology, geochronological name) or the Lower Cretaceous (chronostratigraphy, chronostratigraphic name), is the earlier or lower of the two major divisions of the Cretaceous. It is usually considered to stretch from 145& ...

and are found worldwide, though individual species usually have limited ranges. They are most diverse in the

tropics The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also refer ...

but are also common in northern latitudes and high elevations. Tipulidae is one of the largest groups of flies, including over 15,000 species and subspecies in 525

genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...

and subgenera. Most crane flies were described by the

entomologist Entomology () is the scientific study of insects, a branch of zoology. In the past the term "insect" was less specific, and historically the definition of entomology would also include the study of animals in other arthropod groups, such as ara ...

Charles Paul Alexander Charles Paul Alexander (September 25, 1889, Gloversville, New York - December 3, 1981) was an American entomologist who specialized in the craneflies, Tipulidae. Charles Paul Alexander was the son of Emil Alexander and Jane Alexander (née Parke ...

, a fly specialist, in over 1000 research publications.Oosterbroek, P
Superfamily Tipuloidea, Family Tipulidae.
Chapter 2 In: Evenhuis, N. L. (Ed.) ''Catalog of the Diptera of the Australasian and Oceanian Regions'', Issue 86 of Bernice P. Bishop Museum Special Publication. Apollo Press. 1989.

Description

Summary

An adult crane fly, resembling an oversized male

mosquito Mosquitoes (or mosquitos) are members of a group of almost 3,600 species of small flies within the family Culicidae (from the Latin ''culex'' meaning " gnat"). The word "mosquito" (formed by ''mosca'' and diminutive ''-ito'') is Spanish for "li ...

, typically has a slender body and stilt-like legs that are deciduous, easily coming off the body. The

wingspan The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777–200 has a wingspan of , and a wandering albatross (''Diomedea exulans'') caught in 1965 had a wingspan o ...

is generally about , though some species of ''

Holorusia ''Holorusia'' is a genus of true crane fly, including the largest known crane fly species, '' Holorusia mikado''. Biology The larvae are aquatic. Distribution Asia & Australasia. Species *'' H. aberrans'' (Alexander, 1920) *'' H. agni'' Ale ...

'' can reach . The antennae have up to 19 segments.Watson, L. and M. J. Dallwitz. 2003 onwards
Tipulidae.
British Insects: The Families of Diptera. Version: 1 January 2012. It is also characterized by a V-shaped suture or groove on the back of the

thorax The thorax or chest is a part of the anatomy of humans, mammals, and other tetrapod animals located between the neck and the abdomen. In insects, crustaceans, and the extinct trilobites, the thorax is one of the three main divisions of the c ...

(mesonotum) and by its wing venation. The

rostrum Rostrum may refer to: * Any kind of a platform for a speaker: **dais **pulpit * Rostrum (anatomy), a beak, or anatomical structure resembling a beak, as in the mouthparts of many sucking insects * Rostrum (ship), a form of bow on naval ships * Ros ...

is long and in some species as long as the head and thorax together.

Formal

Tipulidae are medium to large-sized flies () with elongated legs, wings, and abdomen. Their colour is yellow, brown or grey.

Ocelli A simple eye (sometimes called a pigment pit) refers to a form of eye or an optical arrangement composed of a single lens and without an elaborate retina such as occurs in most vertebrates. In this sense "simple eye" is distinct from a multi-l ...

are absent. The rostrum (a snout) is short to very short with a beak-like point called the nasus (rarely absent). The apical segment of the maxillary palpi is flagelliform and much longer than the subapical segment. The antennae have 13 segments (exceptionally 14–19). These are whorled, serrate, or ctenidial. There is a distinct V-shaped suture between the mesonotal prescutum and scutum (near the level of the wing bases). The wings are monochromatic, longitudinally striped or marbled. In females the wings are sometimes rudimentary. The sub-costal vein (Sc) joins through Sc2 with the radial vein, Sc1 is at most a short stump. There are four, rarely (when R2 is reduced) three branches of the radial vein merging into the alar margin. The discoidal wing cell is usually present. The wing has two anal veins. Sternite 9 of the male genitalia has, with few exceptions, two pairs of appendages. Sometimes appendages are also present on sternite 8. The female ovipositor has sclerotized valves and the cerci have a smooth or dentate lower margin. The valves are sometimes modified into thick bristles or short teeth. The larva is elongated, usually cylindrical. The posterior two-thirds of the head capsule is enclosed or retracted within the prothoracic segment. The larva is metapneustic (with only one pair of spiracles, these on the anal segment of the abdomen), but often with vestigial lateral spiracles (rarely apneustic). The head capsule is sclerotized anteriorly and deeply incised ventrally and often dorsolaterally. The mandibles are opposed and move in the horizontal or oblique plane. The abdominal segments have transverse creeping welts. The terminal segments of the abdomen are glabrous, often partially sclerotized and bearing posterior spiracles. The spiracular disc is usually surrounded by lobe-like projections and anal papillae or lobes.

Biology

The adult female usually contains mature eggs as she emerges from her

pupa A pupa ( la, pupa, "doll"; plural: ''pupae'') is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation between immature and mature stages. Insects that go through a pupal stage are holometabolous: they go through four distinct stages in thei ...

, and often mates immediately if a male is available. Males also search for females by walking or flying. Copulation takes a few minutes to hours and may be accomplished in flight. Adults have a lifespan of 10 to 15 days. The female immediately oviposits, usually in wet soil or mats of

algae Algae (; singular alga ) is an informal term for a large and diverse group of photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms. It is a polyphyletic grouping that includes species from multiple distinct clades. Included organisms range from unicellular micr ...

. Some lay eggs on the surface of a water body or in dry soils, and some reportedly simply drop them in flight. Most crane fly eggs are black in color. They often have a filament, which may help anchor the egg in wet or aquatic environments. Crane fly larvae (leatherjackets) have been observed in many habitat types on dry land and in water, including

marine Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Military ...

brackish Brackish water, sometimes termed brack water, is water occurring in a natural environment that has more salinity than freshwater, but not as much as seawater. It may result from mixing seawater (salt water) and fresh water together, as in estua ...

, and

fresh water Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. Although the term specifically excludes seawater and brackish water, it does incl ...

. They are cylindrical in shape, but taper toward the front end, and the head capsule is often retracted into the thorax. The abdomen may be smooth, lined with hairs, or studded with projections or welt-like spots. Projections may occur around the spiracles. Larvae may eat algae, microflora, and living or decomposing plant matter, including wood. Some are predatory.

Ecology

Larval habitats include all kinds of freshwater, semiaquatic environments. Some Tipulinae, including ''Dolichopeza'', are found in moist to wet cushions of mosses or liverworts. ''Ctenophora'' species are found in decaying wood or sodden logs. ''Nephrotoma'' and ''Tipula'' larvae are found in dry soils of pasturelands, lawns, and steppe. Tipulidae larvae are also found in rich organic earth and mud, in wet spots in woods where the humus is saturated, in leaf litter or mud, decaying plant materials, or fruits in various stages of putrefaction. Larvae can be important in the soil ecosystem, because they process organic material and increase microbial activity. Larvae and adults are also valuable prey items for many animals, including insects,

spider Spiders (order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species ...

fish Fish are Aquatic animal, aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack Limb (anatomy), limbs with Digit (anatomy), digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and Chondrichthyes, cartilaginous and bony fish as we ...

amphibian Amphibians are four-limbed and ectothermic vertebrates of the class Amphibia. All living amphibians belong to the group Lissamphibia. They inhabit a wide variety of habitats, with most species living within terrestrial, fossorial, arbo ...

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweig ...

s, and

mammal Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding (nursing) their young, a neocortex (a region of the brain), fur ...

s. Adult crane flies may be used for transport by aquatic species of the

mite Mites are small arachnids (eight-legged arthropods). Mites span two large orders of arachnids, the Acariformes and the Parasitiformes, which were historically grouped together in the subclass Acari, but genetic analysis does not show clear e ...

family

Ascidae Ascidae is a family of mites in the order Mesostigmata. Description Ascidae are mites characterised by: seta ''st4'' usually on unsclerotised cuticle, peritrematic shield broadly connected to exopodal shield beside coxa IV, fixed cheliceral d ...

. This is known as

phoresis Phoresis or phoresy is a non-permanent, commensalistic interaction in which one organism (a phoront or phoretic) attaches itself to another (the host) solely for the purpose of travel. Phoresis has been observed directly in ticks and mites s ...

Pest status

The European crane fly, '' Tipula paludosa'' and the marsh crane fly '' T. oleracea'' are agricultural pests in Europe. Crane fly larvae of economic importance live in the top layers of soil where they feed on the

roots A root is the part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors the plant body, and absorbs and stores water and nutrients. Root or roots may also refer to: Art, entertainment, and media * ''The Root'' (magazine), an online magazine focusing ...

root hairs Root hair, or absorbent hairs, are outgrowths of epidermal cells, specialized cells at the tip of a plant root. They are lateral extensions of a single cell and are only rarely branched. They are found in the region of maturation, of the root. Roo ...

, crown, and sometimes the leaves of crops, stunting their growth or killing the plants. They are pests on a variety of commodities. Since the late 1900s, ''T. paludosa'' and ''T. oleracea'' have become invasive in the United States. The larvae have been observed on many crops, including vegetables, fruits, cereals, pasture, lawn grasses, and

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that ...

s. In 1935,

Lord's Cricket Ground Lord's Cricket Ground, commonly known as Lord's, is a cricket List of Test cricket grounds, venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and is the home of Middlesex County ...

in London was among venues affected by leatherjackets. Several thousand were collected by ground staff and burned, because they caused bald patches on the pitch and the pitch took unaccustomed spin for much of the season.

Phylogenetics

The phylogenetic position of the Tipulidae remains uncertain. The classical viewpoint that they are an early branch of Diptera—perhaps (with the Trichoceridae) the

sister group In phylogenetics, a sister group or sister taxon, also called an adelphotaxon, comprises the closest relative(s) of another given unit in an evolutionary tree. Definition The expression is most easily illustrated by a cladogram: Taxon A and ...

of all other Diptera—is giving way to modern views that they are more highly derived. This is thanks to evidence from molecular studies, which is consistent with the more

derived Derive may refer to: *Derive (computer algebra system), a commercial system made by Texas Instruments * ''Dérive'' (magazine), an Austrian science magazine on urbanism *Dérive, a psychogeographical concept See also * *Derivation (disambiguation ...

larval characters similar to those of 'higher' Diptera. The Pediciidae and Tipulidae are sister groups (the "limoniids" are a paraphyletic

clade A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English ter ...

). Specifically, Limoniinae has recently been treated by numerous authors at the rank of family, but subsequent

phylogenetic In biology, phylogenetics (; from Greek φυλή/ φῦλον [] "tribe, clan, race", and wikt:γενετικός, γενετικός [] "origin, source, birth") is the study of the evolutionary history and relationships among or within groups ...

analyses revealed that the remaining groups of tipulids render the group

paraphyletic In taxonomy, a group is paraphyletic if it consists of the group's last common ancestor and most of its descendants, excluding a few monophyletic subgroups. The group is said to be paraphyletic ''with respect to'' the excluded subgroups. In ...

. The Cylindrotominae appear to be a relict group that was much better represented in the

Tertiary Tertiary ( ) is a widely used but obsolete term for the geologic period from 66 million to 2.6 million years ago. The period began with the demise of the non-avian dinosaurs in the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, at the start ...

. Tipulidae probably evolved from ancestors in the Upper

Jurassic The Jurassic ( ) is a geologic period and stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately Mya. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of ...

, the Architipulidae, and representatives of the Limoniinae are known from the

Upper Triassic The Late Triassic is the third and final epoch of the Triassic Period in the geologic time scale, spanning the time between Ma and Ma (million years ago). It is preceded by the Middle Triassic Epoch and followed by the Early Jurassic Epoch. ...

Genera

* Subfamily Ctenophorinae ** ''

Ctenophora Ctenophora (; ctenophore ; ) comprise a phylum of marine invertebrates, commonly known as comb jellies, that inhabit sea waters worldwide. They are notable for the groups of cilia they use for swimming (commonly referred to as "combs"), and ...

'' Meigen, 1803 ** '' Dictenidia'' Brulle, 1833 ** '' Phoroctenia''

Coquillett Daniel William Coquillett (23 January 1856, Pleasant Valley, Ill. – 7 July 1911 Atlantic City, New Jersey) was an American entomologist who specialised in Diptera. He wrote a revision of the dipterous family Therevidae and many other scientifi ...

, 1910 ** '' Pselliophora'' Osten Sacken, 1887 ** '' Tanyptera'' Latreille, 1804 * Subfamily Cylindrotominae ** '' Cylindrotoma'' Macquart, 1834 ** '' Diogma''

Edwards Edwards may refer to: People * Edwards (surname) * Edwards family, a prominent family from Chile * Edwards Barham (1937-2014), a former member of the Louisiana State Senate * Edwards Pierrepont (1817–1892), an American attorney, jurist, and or ...

, 1938 ** '' Liogma'' Osten Sacken, 1869 ** '' Phalacrocera'' Schiner, 1863 ** '' Stibadocera'' Enderlein, 1912 ** '' Stibadocerella'' Brunetti, 1918 ** '' Stibadocerina''

Alexander Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...

, 1929 ** '' Stibadocerodes''

, 1928 ** '' Triogma'' Schiner, 1863 * Subfamily Dolichopezinae ** '' Dolichopeza''

Curtis Curtis or Curtiss is a common English given name and surname of Anglo-Norman origin from the Old French ''curteis'' ( Modern French ''courtois'') which derived from the Spanish Cortés (of which Cortez is a variation) and the Portuguese and Ga ...

, 1825 * Subfamily Limoniinae ** see List of Limoniine genera * Subfamily

Tipulinae Tipulinae is a subfamily of crane flies. It contains the typical crane flies from the genus ''Tipula''. Genera *'' Acracantha'' Skuse, 1890 *'' Angarotipula'' Savchenko, 1961 *'' Austrotipula'' Alexander, 1920 *'' Brachypremna'' Osten Sacken, ...

** '' Acracantha'' Skuse, 1890 ** '' Angarotipula'' Savchenko, 1961 ** '' Austrotipula''

, 1920 ** '' Brachypremna'' Osten Sacken, 1887 ** '' Brithura''

, 1916 ** '' Clytocosmus'' Skuse, 1890 ** '' Elnoretta''

, 1929 ** '' Euvaldiviana''

, 1981 ** ''

Goniotipula ''Goniotipula'' is a genus of true crane fly. Distribution The ''Goniotipula'' is only found in South Africa. Species *'' G. cuneipennis'' Alexander Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Gre ...

, 1921 ** ''

'' Loew, 1863 ** '' Hovapeza''

, 1951 ** '' Hovatipula''

, 1955 ** '' Idiotipula''

, 1921 ** '' Indotipula''

, 1931 ** '' Ischnotoma'' Skuse, 1890 ** '' Keiseromyia''

, 1963 ** '' Leptotarsus'' Guerin-Meneville, 1831 ** '' Macgregoromyia''

, 1929 ** '' Megistocera'' Wiedemann, 1828 ** '' Nephrotoma'' Meigen, 1803 ** '' Nigrotipula'' Hudson & Vane-Wright, 1969 ** '' Ozodicera'' Macquart, 1834 ** '' Platyphasia'' Skuse, 1890 ** '' Prionocera'' Loew, 1844 ** '' Prionota'' van der Wulp, 1885 ** '' Ptilogyna'' Westwood, 1835 ** '' Scamboneura'' Osten Sacken, 1882 ** '' Sphaerionotus'' de Meijere, 1919 ** '' Tipula''

Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the ...

1758 Events January–March * January 1 – Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus (Carl von Linné) publishes in Stockholm the first volume (''Animalia'') of the 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae'', the starting point of modern zoologi ...

** '' Tipulodina'' Enderlein, 1912 ** '' Valdiviana''

, 1929 ** '' Zelandotipula''

, 1922

Common names

Numerous other common names have been applied to the crane fly. Many of the names are more or less regional in the U.S., including mosquito hawk, mosquito eater, gallinipper, and gollywhopper. They are also known as "daddy longlegs" in English-speaking countries outside of the U.S., not to be confused with the U.S. usages of "daddy long legs" that refer to either

arachnid Arachnida () is a class of joint-legged invertebrate animals (arthropods), in the subphylum Chelicerata. Arachnida includes, among others, spiders, scorpions, ticks, mites, pseudoscorpions, harvestmen, camel spiders, whip spiders and vinegar ...

s of the order

Opiliones The Opiliones (formerly Phalangida) are an order of arachnids colloquially known as harvestmen, harvesters, harvest spiders, or daddy longlegs. , over 6,650 species of harvestmen have been discovered worldwide, although the total number of ext ...

or the family Pholcidae. The

e of crane flies are known commonly as leatherjackets. They are also known as ''Jenny long legs'' in Scotland.Is the UK really seeing a record daddy long legs invasion? by Helena Horton

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...

, 22 September 2021 In Ireland they are also known as ''Skinny Philip'', and as ''Pilib an Gheataire'' in Gaelic (''Gaeilge'').

Misconceptions

There is an enduring

urban legend An urban legend (sometimes contemporary legend, modern legend, urban myth, or urban tale) is a genre of folklore comprising stories or fallacious claims circulated as true, especially as having happened to a "friend of a friend" or a family m ...

that crane flies are the most venomous insects in the world, but have no ability to administer the venom; this is not true.Could record 200 billion daddy-long-legs hit UK?
-

Newsround ''Newsround'' (stylised as ''newsround'', and originally called ''John Craven's Newsround'' before his departure in 1989) is a BBC children's news programme, which has run continuously since 4 April 1972. It was one of the world's first tele ...

CBBC CBBC (initialised as Children's BBC and also known as the CBBC Channel) is a British free-to-air public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the brand used for all BBC content for children aged 7–16 ...

, 8 September 2016. The myth likely arose due to their being confused with the cellar spider as they are also informally called "daddy longlegs", and although the arachnid does possess venom, it is not especially potent.Debunked: Are Daddy Longlegs the most poisonous spiders in the world?
-

TheJournal.ie ''TheJournal.ie'' is an internet publication in Ireland. It was a mixture of original and aggregated content, before moving to entirely original content. The website was founded in early 2010. It was edited by Jennifer O'Connell in 2010–2011, ...

, 20 October 2013. Despite widely held beliefs that adult crane flies (or "mosquito hawks") prey on mosquito populations, the adult crane fly is anatomically incapable of killing or consuming other insects. Although the adults of some species may feed on nectar, the adults of many species have such short lifespans that they do not eat at all.

References

External links

Ohioline.osu.edu
Ohio State University Fact Sheet
Family Tipulidae at EOLIZ.carnegiemnh.org
Crane Flies of Pennsylvania, Extensive Specimen Collection, Carnegie Museum of Natural History
NLBIF.eti.uva.nl
Catalog of Craneflies of the World
Diptera.info
Image Gallery
BugGuide.net
photo gallery, many species

Tipulidae of Taiwan , with images under Latin binomials
Crane Fly
Field Guide to Common Texas Insects *

Species lists

West Palaearctic including Russia

Japan
{{Authority control Extant Late Jurassic first appearances Taxa named by Pierre André Latreille