Summary
An adult crane fly, resembling an oversized male mosquito, typically has a slender body and long, stilt-like legs that are deciduous, easily … See more

Larval habitats include all kinds of freshwater, semiaquatic environments. Some Tipuloidea, including Dolichopeza, are found in moist to wet cushions of mosses or liverworts. Ctenophora species are found in decaying wood or sodden logs. Nephrotoma … See more

The phylogenetic position of the Tipuloidea remains uncertain. The classical viewpoint that they are an early branch of Diptera … See more

There is an enduring urban legend that crane flies are the most venomous insects in the world, however they have neither venom nor the … See more

Adults have a lifespan of 10 to 15 days. The adult female usually contains mature eggs as she emerges from her pupa, and often mates … See more

Some members of the tipulid genus Tipula, such as the European crane fly, Tipula paludosa and the marsh crane fly T. oleracea See more

Numerous 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 … See more