CRANE-FLY

The Latin name for the Crane fly is Tipula paludosa.

The Crane Fly is also known as the Daddy Long-legs. It is a common name for several families of large, slender-legged, mosquito-like flies, including the Crane fly. There are over 290 species of Crane fly in Britain.

In the larger species, the body is about 2.5cm long and the legs about 3.8 cm long. The wings of Crane flies are generally clear, but are sometimes beautifully marked. The body is greyish-brown.

These flies appear, often in swarms, in late summer. They can be seen in meadows and pastureland. The adults normally fly after dark in summer and autumn.

The female deposits hundreds of small, black eggs, from which larvae hatch about two weeks later. The larvae of most species (also known as leather jackets) live in the earth, but some live in water, in decomposed wood or upon leaves of plants. They eat the roots of plants.