Why now? I was going through my photos and realized I had a few different species of these guys and I wanted to share. Plus, it's freezing out and what better time to write? Let's get into it!
Crane flies are in the superfamily Tipuloidea which also includes the families Cylindrotomidae, Limoniidae, Pediciidae and Tipulidae. Crane flies first appeared during the Middle Triassic, around 245 million years ago. They're one of the oldest known groups of flies! They're practically found everywhere too. There are more than 15,500 species and over 500 genera!
I was surprised to know that they go by so many names! The list I found includes United States: mosquito hawks, skeeter-eaters, gallinipper, gollywhopper; English speaking outside U.S.: daddy longlegs; Scotland: Jenny long legs, and Ireland: Skinny Philip. What a list!
What do they look like? They typically have a slender body and long legs. I learned that those legs are deciduous which means they come off easily, yikes! Their wings are marked with wing interference, like many insects, and they vary among species. Their rostrum is long, so long that its as long as the thorax and head together!
Note: This is a photo I took in August of a European crane fly (Tipula paludosa) on the side of our apartment, sunning itself.
Most live between 10-15 days. They prefer moist, temperate environments near lakes and streams. Their larvae live in more varied habitats including marshes, springs, decaying wood, moist soil, leaf litter, fungi, vertebrate nests, and vegetation. I found the following two species down by the river where I live!
Note: I don't know the exact species but we've narrowed it down to Tiger Crane Fly (Genus: Nephrotoma).
Note: All I know is that his subgenus is Tipula but I had to include him because he looks so cool!
Most of these guys don't even eat, they don't have the parts! Their larvae on the other hand eat decaying plant matter, living plants, fungi, or other invertebrates depending on the species.
It makes sense we found them by the river because females oviposit in wet soil, mats of algae, on the water's surface, or sometimes even in dry soil. Because of this, their eggs are covered in a filament to help anchor them in wet environments. The females are practically born ready, having mature eggs as she emerges as an adult. They often mate immediately! The males search for females by walking or flying to them. Copulation takes a few minutes to hours and may be accomplished in flight!
At our old apartment, we had two crane flies come and sit on our screen door/windows every year for about a week. I like to think they were the same bloodline and felt safe enough to keep returning.
In some places unfortunately they are pests. They eat the roots of crops as larvae and kill the plants. It doesn't help that their diets are so varied preying on anything from vegetables, fruits, cereals, pasture, lawn grasses, and ornamental plants. Even with this problematic behavior, larvae can be important in the soil ecosystem due to their ability to process organic material and increase microbial activity. Both larvae and adults are valuable prey items for many animals including other insects, spiders, fish, amphibians, birds, and mammals!
I wanted to end on a fun note and address the myths associated with these insects! There are urban legends that say they are the most venomous insects in the world which I think is really funny because they both don't have venom and can't bite. It's thought to have come from their confusion with "daddy longlegs" which do have venom but it's not especially potent.
Well, I hope you had fun and learned something! I always enjoy writing, especially on frigid days like today. See you next time!
Yours,
Jade
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