Common Crane Flies

Tipula

Common Crane Flies are long-legged insects that look a bit like giant mosquitoes! They are harmless and often found in gardens and fields, dancing in the air during warm days.

Lebensraum: Grasslands

Aussehen

The Common Crane Fly has a slender, greyish-brown body with incredibly long, delicate legs. Its transparent, often iridescent wings are noticeably veined, extending past its body. It is often mistaken for a giant mosquito, but lacks a biting proboscis.

ReichAnimaliaStammArthropodaKlasseInsectaOrdnungDipteraFamilieTipulidaeGattungTipula

Common Crane Flies

Kategorie

Insekten

Seltenheit

Common

Gefahr

1/5 · Sehr gering

Snaps

Mach den ersten Snap!

Interessante Fakten

Did you know that adult crane flies only live for about two weeks, just long enough to find a mate? Wow!

Even though they look like giant mosquitoes, crane flies have no sting and cannot bite humans! Wow!

Some crane flies are nicknamed "mosquito eaters", but adults mostly sip nectar or don't eat at all! Wow!

Their babies, called "leatherjackets", live in the soil eating plant roots, not flying bugs! Wow!

Besondere Fähigkeiten

Common Crane Flies can intentionally detach a leg if caught, allowing them to escape danger.

Common Crane Flies' larvae break down dead plants and roots, helping to enrich the soil.

Adult Common Crane Flies often do not eat at all, having very weak or vestigial mouthparts.

Maße und Details

Flügelspannweite: 40-60 mm
Größe: 10-25 mm
Lebenserwartung: 10-15 Tage
Fluggeschwindigkeit: 3-8 km/h
Anzahl der Beine: 6

Ernährung und Fütterung

Adult crane flies usually don't eat, but their larvae are busy munching on roots and decaying plants!

Altersunterschiede: Larvae eat roots and decaying plants; adults typically do not feed or only consume nectar/water.

Hauptnahrung

decaying plant matter
grass roots
leaf litter
moss
fungi

Nahrungssuche

Foraging

Ökologische Zusammenhänge

eaten by

European Starling

Sturnus vulgaris

Birds like starlings often prey on adult crane flies.

eaten by

Common Frog

Rana temporaria

Frogs readily consume the slow-moving adult crane flies.

depends on

Perennial Ryegrass

Lolium perenne

Larvae feed on roots, sometimes causing lawn damage.

Merkmale

Sozial

Soziale Tiere leben in organisierten Gruppen und kooperieren, um ihr Überleben zu sichern, beispielsweise bei der Nahrungssuche, Verteidigung und Aufzucht der Jungen.

Luftbewohnend

Luftbewohnende Tiere verbringen einen erheblichen Teil ihres Lebens in der Luft und nutzen den Flug für verschiedene Aktivitäten wie Jagd, Wanderungen oder Nestbau.

Grasland

Grasland-Lebensräume sind terrestrische Biome, die von Gräsern und krautigen Pflanzen dominiert werden und einer Vielzahl von Weidetieren als Lebensraum dienen.