Large Crane Flies (Tipulidae) - 125 Species, Identification & Facts

Ctenophora apicata

Identification: bold striking colors: red, orange, yellow, black - apparently a wasp mimic

Dolichopeza carolus

Identification: The only eastern species with pure white tarsi

Leptotarsus testaceus

Identification: abdomen greatly elongated in both sexes Uncommon

Megistocera longipennis

Identification: Note A2 vein short as in Trichocera , but straight.

Nephrotoma alterna

Identification: Darkened wing tips, anterior end of lateral praescutal stripe curved laterally. Females often observed ovipositing into wet soil in forest floor

Nephrotoma breviorcornis

Identification: One of several eastern species with flagellomeres yellow at base and dark at tip.

Nephrotoma cornicina

Identification: " N. cornicina can be easily recognized by the posteriorly pointed and sclerotized outer dististyle and the presence of a knob-shaped, mid-ventral appendate on the male sternite 8 and by the pointed cerci of the female." (Oosterbroek,

Nephrotoma crocata

Identification: A dark species with three strongly contrasting yellow stripes on the abdomen, usually followed by a pair of yellow spots looking like an incomplete fourth stripe.

Nephrotoma ferruginea

Identification: In the Northeast, distinguished from other Nephrotoma by the combination of Most common Nephrotoma in our area, and likely to be found in urban/suburban areas

Nephrotoma okefenoke

Identification: The appendage of the inner dististyle of the male is distinctive. Otherwise, very similar to Nephrotoma cornifera and urocera .

Nephrotoma punctum

Closely related to N. calinotum , from which it is separated by the hypopygial characters. As well, "by the colouration of the second and following flegellar segments: unicolourous in both sexes of punctum , bicolourous with darkened bases in males o

Nephrotoma rogersi

Identification: "The dark brown (sub)costal tinge of the wings in rogersi separates it easily from all other nearctic Nephrotoma species; there is also some (sub)costal darkening in cornifera , okefenoke and urocera , but to a far lesser extent." (Ta

Nephrotoma virescens

Identification: yellow to green, with wingtips clear and scutum mostly covered by curved brown and black stripes " N. virescens can be very easily recognized by the four, large, velvety black markings on the lateral parts of the prescutum and scutum.

Giant Crane Fly

Tipula abdominalis

Identification: Large size coupled with black velvety patches on thorax is diagnostic feature for subgenus Nippotipula . Tipula abdominalis has a spot at the end of vein R1+2 and pale rings near tips of femora. Wing venation:

Tipula apicalis

Identification: Wing cells beyond cord of wing darkened, wing apex narrowly but conspicuously darkened (the most distinct character)

Tipula caloptera

Identification: "They are the largest species of Yamatotipula group that have their wings striped longitudinally with brown and white. Their flagellar segments of antennae are yellow with darkened bases, and are shorter than their thorax. The abdomin

Tipula collaris

Identification: Black and yellow color as in Nephrotoma . Crossvein m-cu intersecting the side of the discal cell. Thorax with three matte black stripes. Pleura with grey pruinosity.

Tipula fraterna

Identification: Wing with a conspicuous white crossband reaching hind margin, wing beyond crossband dark or with a white spot in cell r5 widely separated from crossband.

Tipula inusitata

Identification: "Although related to Tipula (Lunatipula) aurantionota Alexander and T. (L.) usitata Doane, the present fly is readily told by the structure of the male hypopygium..." (Alexander, 1949, p.18) This page is based on examination of this m

Tipula ludoviciana

Identification: " Tipula ludoviciana is allied to, and superficially resembles, T. sayi Alex. ( costalis Say) which has the antennae of the male short, about reaching the base of the abdomen; no dark seam along the vein Cu; the petiole of cell M1 muc

Tipula metacomet

Identification: similar to T. abdominalis , distinguished by the dark brown femur and tibia (no pale subapical band at femur or base of tibia), wing stigma dark brown, wing pattern and abdominal tergite 1 evenly dark brown. (Jon Gelhaus)

Marsh Crane Fly

Tipula oleracea

Identification: Antennae 13 segments; space between the eyes on ventral surface of the head narrow; in females wings reach the tip of abdomen. The Crane Flies (Diptera:Tipulidae) of Pennsylvania Non native. Introduced from Europe before 1955

Common European Crane Fly

Tipula paludosa

(c) Barry Cottam, some rights reserved (CC BY)

Identification: Antennae 14 segments; space between the eyes on ventral surface of the head wide; in females wings do not reach the tip of abdomen. The Crane Flies (Diptera:Tipulidae) of Pennsylvania Non native. Introduced from Europe before 1955

Tipula pubera

Identification: Male with long, yellow hair on sternite 8, probably the source of the species name.

Tipula senega

Identification: Adults pale yellow, with wings patterned with pale clouds; ovipositor has relatively short and broad cerci

Range Crane Fly

Tipula simplex

See also the Handbook of Forage and Rangeland Insects, which presumably has much more current information: https://www.entsoc.org/Pubs/Books/Handbooks/forage .

Tipula submaculata

Per comments by Dr. Chen W. Young here Tipula submaculata and mallochi females cannot at present be separated. Although DNA suggests that the two may be the same species, males can be separated based on genitalia structures.