Crane Fly – Tipula paterifera

This species is a late autumnal species (16-19 mm) found especially in lawn, grassy areas, and humid areas along ponds, marshes, and streams. Head and thorax are gray, abdomen chiefly brownish-yellow, and the abdominal tergite with a median brown stripe. Wings tinged with brown and with costal margin darken. Adults are active in later afternoon and they come rather freely to light at night.

This largely midwest species (Kansas, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee) has spread all the way to the east coast (New Jersey, Maryland) in the last two decades. This species has not previously been recorded from Pennsylvania; it represents a state record and is now widespread in Pennsylvania. Thanks to Dr. Chen Young of Carnegie Museum of Natural History for identification of these specimens.

Crane Fly

Habitat: Humid areas near ponds, streams, marshes. Range: Worldwide. Food: Adults do not feed.
Larvae feed on decaying vegetation, fungi and roots.
Life Cycle: Slender eggs are laid on moist soil near open water. Larvae develop, then pupate in the soil, emerging in spring.

Crane Fly

Around the pond where I took these pictures, there are thousands of these flies – they look like huge mosquitoes on steroids, but they cannot sting or bite. They are very clumsy fliers, their legs being twice as long as their bodies.