ENY 3005 Family Identification

Diptera: Tipulidae

 Common name: crane flies

The several families of crane flies are distinguished by wing venation and the presence or absence of ocelli and a mesonotal suture. Identifying characteristics for the family Tipulidae include:

• Mosquitolike insects with very long legs.
• Antennae with 6 or more segments (suborder Nematocera).
• Mesonotum with V-shaped suture.
• Ocelli absent.

• Tipulidae is the largest family of Diptera with about 1,500 species in North America and 12,000 species worldwide.
• Larvae are found in fresh water and moist soil, most feeding on decaying vegetation. A few species are pests of cultivated plants.

References:

• Page 262 in D. J. Borror and R. E. White. 1970. A Field Guide to the Insects. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co.
• Page 326 in R. G. Bland and H. E. Jaques. 1978. How to Know the Insects, 3rd ed. Dubuque, Iowa: Wm. C. Brown Co. 409 p.
• Page 535 in D. J. Borror, C. A. Triplehorn, and N. F. Johnson. 1989. An Introduction to the Study of Insects, 6th ed. Philadelphia: Saunders College Publishing. 875 p.
• Pages 500-504 in H. V. Daly, J. T. Doyen, and A. H. Purcell III. 1998. Introduction to Insect Biology and Diversity, 2nd ed. Oxford University Press. 680 p.