# Large Crane Flies (*Tipulidae*)

Large crane flies are long-legged insects that look a bit like giant mosquitoes. They are harmless and often found near water, where they lay their eggs.

- **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger
- **Habitat:** Streams, wetlands, forests, and damp meadows

![Large Crane Flies](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/%28MHNT%29_Tipula_paludosa_on_Iris_leave.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%28MHNT%29_Tipula_paludosa_on_Iris_leave.jpg)

## Appearance

The Large Crane Fly has a slender body and incredibly long, delicate legs. They usually appear in shades of brown, grey, or yellow, lacking the scales of a mosquito. A distinctive V-shaped groove is visible on their back.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Arthropoda
- **Class:** Insecta
- **Order:** Diptera
- **Family:** Tipulidae

## Large crane flies, up close

Large crane flies (family Tipulidae) are long-legged true flies with about 4,400 species worldwide, from everyday garden crane flies to the biggest crane flies on Earth. Their larvae live in streams, wet leaf litter, moss, soil or rotting wood, where most of them feed on decaying plants. The giant western crane fly (Holorusia hespera) of western North America is the largest crane fly in North America, with wings about 40 mm long.

Also called: True crane flies, Tipulids, Giant western crane fly (Holorusia hespera), Tiger crane flies (Nephrotoma), Comb-horned crane flies (Ctenophora).

A giant of the American West, a wasp lookalike with comb antennae and a larva that breathes through its tail. Spin it, tap it, then test yourself.

### Special abilities

- **Giant Wings** (40 mm wing length, giant western crane fly): The giant western crane fly has the longest wings of any crane fly in North America, and an Asian cousin holds the world record. [1][8][14][15]
  - Holorusia hespera wings reach about 40 mm long, the largest of any North American crane fly.
  - Its relative Holorusia mikado from Japan and China is bigger still: males have wings 32–43 mm long.
  - A Holorusia mikado found on Qingcheng Mountain in Sichuan, China, in 2017 had a wingspan of 11.15 cm and a body about 5 cm long.
  - The smallest crane flies have wings only about 2 mm long.
  - Wing length: Giant western crane fly 40 mm; Holorusia mikado (male) 43 mm; Tipula maxima 30 mm; European crane fly 23 mm; Smallest crane flies 2 mm
- **Wasp Disguise** (≈20 mm comb-horned crane fly body; still debated): Comb-horned crane flies are shiny black with bright yellow, orange or red marks, so they look a lot like wasps. They cannot sting. [6][10][16][17]
  - Ctenophora crane flies are about 20 mm long, shiny black and boldly marked with yellow, orange or red.
  - This is usually described as wasp mimicry: looking like an animal that predators avoid. We found no study testing whether it really fools birds.
  - Like all crane flies, they have no sting and do not bite.
- **Comb Antennae** (4 side branches per antenna segment (male)): Male comb-horned crane flies have antennae with comb-like branches. The females’ antennae are plain. [6][5]
  - Each antenna segment of a male Ctenophora has two pairs of outgrowths, and the lower pair is longer than the upper pair.
  - Females have 13 clearly separate antenna segments that are only slightly saw-edged.
  - Most large crane flies have 13 antenna segments. Counting them helps experts tell large crane flies from limoniid crane flies, which have 14 or 16.
- **Tail Snorkel** (2 breathing holes on the tail disc): A crane fly larva breathes through one pair of breathing holes on a disc at its tail end, ringed by fleshy, finger-like lobes. [11][13][8][18]
  - Crane fly larvae have just one working pair of spiracles (breathing holes), on the last segment of the abdomen.
  - This spiracle disc is usually ringed by lobes, described as tiny, fleshy, finger-like lobes at the hind end.
  - In the giant Holorusia mikado the two spiracles are large, more than a third as wide as the disc, and the lobes have long hairs along their edges.
  - Crane fly larvae live in almost every kind of fresh water, and a few even in salty or brackish water.
- **Leaf Shredders** (≈4,500 species, most with plant-recycling larvae): Most large crane fly larvae eat decaying plants: fallen leaves, humus or rotting wood. In streams they shred leaves into smaller bits. [10][8][18][19]
  - In Tipulidae, the vast majority of larvae feed on decaying plant material such as leaf litter, humus or decaying wood.
  - Giant Holorusia mikado larvae feed on wet, rotting leaves at slow, leafy stream edges.
  - Crane fly larvae are common in shallow stream margins, where they help break up leaves that fall in from the banks.
  - The North American Tipula abdominalis carries bacteria in its hindgut that scientists think help it digest tough plant material.
- **Nectar Sip** (0 piercing mouthparts): Many adult crane flies do not eat at all. Those that do usually drink nectar from flowers through a short snout. [4][9]
  - As adults, many crane flies do not eat and spend their short lives mating. Those that do eat tend to drink nectar from flowers.
  - Their mouthparts form a snout, not a piercing tube like a mosquito’s.
  - Tiger crane flies (Nephrotoma) have an especially short snout.
- **Egg Drop** (70–90 eggs laid in 3 hours (lab)): Females lay their eggs where the larvae will live: under water, in wet ground near water, or in rotting wood. [4][10][6][8][12]
  - Crane fly females lay their eggs either under water or in soil near water.
  - Comb-horned crane fly larvae grow up inside dead wood, so these crane flies need forests with old, dying and fallen trees.
  - In a lab study, a female Holorusia mikado laid 70–90 eggs within three hours, five days after she emerged.
  - Eggs of tiger and comb-horned crane flies took from 5 days to more than 3 weeks to hatch.
- **Slow Grow-Up** (up to 5 years as a larva, depending on species): A large crane fly spends most of its life as a larva. Depending on the species, that takes a few months or up to five years. [12][13][8][4]
  - Crane fly larvae grow through four stages (instars), shedding their skin between each one.
  - Water-living larvae can take a few months or up to five years to develop.
  - Holorusia mikado adults came out of their pupae 7–8 days after pupating, early in the morning between 5 and 9 am.
  - The winged adults live only a short time, spending it mating and laying eggs.

### Body parts

- **Wings** (12 of 13 species tested had rainbow wing patterns) [1][2]
  - The giant western crane fly’s wings reach about 40 mm, the longest of any crane fly in North America.
  - Most crane fly wings hide rainbow patterns made by light bouncing inside the thin wing. In a study of 13 crane fly species, 12 showed them.
  - The giant western crane fly was the odd one out: its glossy amber wings showed no rainbow pattern. Scientists suspect its wings are too thick.
- **Halteres** (40 haltere beats per second) [3]
  - In giant crane flies (Holorusia), the tiny haltere knobs behind the wings swing back and forth about 40 times a second.
  - Scientists use Holorusia to study how haltere nerves sense the body turning, like a built-in gyroscope.
  - The haltere’s sense nerves can follow vibrations of up to 150 per second, far faster than the haltere’s own beat.
- **Head and snout** (4th palp segment, longer than the other 3 together) [4][5]
  - The mouthparts form a snout (rostrum), not a piercing tube like a mosquito’s.
  - Large crane flies have long maxillary palps hanging from the head. The last palp segment is usually longer than the other three put together, a clue that you are looking at a Tipulidae.
  - Many adults do not feed at all. Those that do usually sip nectar from flowers.
- **Antennae** (13 antenna segments in most species) [5][6]
  - Large crane flies usually have 13 antenna segments. Their limoniid cousins have 14 or 16.
  - Male comb-horned crane flies (Ctenophora) have two pairs of side branches on each antenna segment, so the antennae look like combs.
  - Females of the same species have plain antennae that are only slightly saw-edged.
- **Thorax** [4][7][6]
  - A V-shaped groove on top of the thorax helps tell a crane fly from a mosquito.
  - The thorax is packed with flight muscle. In the giant crane fly Holorusia mikado it is the special “asynchronous” kind, which can beat the wings several times for each nerve signal.
  - Comb-horned crane flies have long bristles on the sides of the thorax.
- **Abdomen** (25–36 mm body length, male Holorusia mikado) [8][2][9][6][10][4]
  - Male Holorusia mikado, the world’s biggest crane fly species, have bodies 25–36 mm long.
  - Tiger crane flies are glossy yellow with black stripes and spots. Comb-horned crane flies are shiny black with yellow, orange or red marks.
  - A female’s abdomen ends in a pointed egg-laying tip. It looks sharp but is harmless.
- **Eggs** (5–21+ days until the eggs hatch) [8][11][12]
  - In a lab study, a female Holorusia mikado laid 70–90 eggs within three hours, five days after she came out of her pupa.
  - Crane fly eggs often have a thin thread that may help anchor them in wet places.
  - Eggs of tiger and comb-horned crane flies took from 5 days to more than 3 weeks to hatch.
- **Stream home** (≈13–25 mm typical larva length) [13][8]
  - Crane fly larvae usually live in water, in streams and lakes, but also in wet leaf litter and soil.
  - Giant Holorusia mikado larvae live along mountain streams, small waterfalls and roadside ditches where rotting leaves pile up and the water flows slowly.
  - Water-living larvae are sensitive to pollution, so when they disappear it can be a sign that a stream is in trouble.
- **Rotting wood and moss** (7 comb-horned species in Germany) [10][6][11][5]
  - Comb-horned crane fly larvae grow up inside decaying wood.
  - They live only in old broadleaf forests, orchards and other places where there have always been dying and fallen trees.
  - Larvae of Dolichopeza, another large crane fly, live in wet cushions of moss and liverworts.

### Stats

| Stat | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Large crane fly species | 4,378 | Recognised species and subspecies of Tipulidae in the world catalogue; ≈ 1 in 4 of all 15,768 crane flies [21] |
| All crane flies | 15,768 | In four families; the limoniid crane flies are the biggest family with 10,821 [21] |
| Wing length | 40 mm | Giant western crane fly, the largest in North America [1] |
| Record wingspan | 11.15 cm | Holorusia mikado from Qingcheng Mountain, China, 2017 [14][8] |
| Record body length | ≈5 cm | The same record Holorusia mikado specimen [14] |
| Life as a larva | up to 5 years | A few months to five years under water, depending on species [13] |
| Pupa stage | 7–8 days | Holorusia mikado reared in the lab [8] |
| Haltere beat | 40 per second | Natural haltere swing of giant crane flies (Holorusia) [3] |
| Species in Europe | 519 | Plus more than 500 in North America north of Mexico [10][13] |
| Giant western sightings | 1,951 | GBIF records of Holorusia hespera; 1,219 of them from California, most in May–July [20] |

### Photos

- [Giant western crane fly (Holorusia hespera), San Francisco, California](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Holorusia_hespera_-_inat_1582023.jpg) (photo: Ken-ichi Ueda, CC BY 4.0)
- [Giant western crane fly, Presidio, San Francisco](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Holorusia_hespera_-_inat_1582060.jpg) (photo: Ken-ichi Ueda, CC BY 4.0)
- [Giant western crane fly, Riverside County, California](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Holorusia_hespera_-_inat_76482158.jpg) (photo: nmoorhatch, CC BY 4.0)
- [Tiger crane fly (Nephrotoma ferruginea)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tiger_crane_fly_-_Nephrotoma_ferruginea.jpg) (photo: Sabalo22, CC0)
- [Male tiger crane fly (Nephrotoma submaculosa)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nephrotoma_Januray_2020-5.jpg) (photo: Alvesgaspar, CC BY-SA 4.0)
- [Male comb-horned crane fly (Ctenophora pectinicornis), Brussels, Belgium](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ctenophora_pectinicornis_(a_fresh_male)%2C_Parc_de_Woluw%C3%A9%2C_Brussels_(34273584860).jpg) (photo: Frank Vassen, CC BY 2.0)
- [Male Ctenophora flaveolata, a wasp lookalike](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ctenophora_flaveolata_male_April_2020.jpg) (photo: Islander61, CC BY-SA 4.0)
- [Comb-horned crane fly (Ctenophora pectinicornis)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ctenophora_pectinicornis.JPG) (photo: Jean.claude, CC BY-SA 3.0)
- [Crane fly larva, Rock Creek Park, Washington, DC](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cranefly_Larva_(31749593981).jpg) (photo: Katja Schulz, CC BY 2.0)
- [Large crane fly larva from leaf litter, Denmark](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tipulidae_sp._(26445335690).jpg) (photo: Donald Hobern, CC BY 2.0)

### Questions

- **What is the biggest crane fly in the world?** The giant crane fly Holorusia mikado of East Asia. A specimen found on Qingcheng Mountain in Sichuan, China, in 2017 had an 11.15 cm wingspan and a body about 5 cm long. A Holorusia mikado specimen holds the 2018 Guinness World Record for the largest crane fly. [14][8]
- **What is the biggest crane fly in North America?** The giant western crane fly, Holorusia hespera, with wings about 40 mm long. It lives in western North America, mostly in California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. [1][20]
- **Are giant crane flies dangerous?** No. Crane flies cannot sting and do not bite, even the biggest ones and the wasp-like comb-horned species. Watch them without grabbing: their long legs are delicate. [16][17][4]
- **What is the difference between Tipulidae and other crane flies?** Tipulidae, the large or true crane flies, are one of four crane fly families, with 4,378 of the world’s 15,768 crane fly species. They usually have 13 antenna segments and a very long last palp segment. [21][5]
- **Why does the comb-horned crane fly look like a wasp?** Its shiny black body with yellow, orange or red marks is described as wasp mimicry, which may help it avoid predators. We found no study testing this, and it is harmless. [6][16]
- **Where do crane fly larvae live?** Most live in water or wet places: streams, lakes, wet leaf litter, moss and soil. Comb-horned crane fly larvae live inside rotting wood, and a few crane flies live in salty water. [13][10][11]
- **How long do large crane flies live?** Most of their life is spent as a larva, from a few months to five years. The pupa stage can take about a week, and the winged adults live only a short time. [13][8][4]
- **Are crane flies good for streams?** Yes. Their larvae help break down fallen leaves, they are food for many animals, and because water-living larvae are sensitive to pollution, their numbers tell scientists about water quality. [18][13][10]

### Large crane fly myths and facts

Wasp lookalikes, record giants and baby crane flies in streams. Which of these are true?

- "Black-and-yellow crane flies can sting like wasps." **Myth!** Comb-horned crane flies look like wasps, but crane flies have no sting and do not bite. [6][16][17]
- "All crane fly larvae live in lawns and eat grass roots." **Myth!** Most large crane fly larvae eat decaying plants in streams, wet leaf litter, moss, soil or rotting wood. Only some species eat roots. [10][13][4]
- "The “world’s biggest mosquito” found in China in 2017 was a mosquito." **Myth!** It was a giant crane fly, Holorusia mikado, with an 11.15 cm wingspan. Holorusia mikado also holds the Guinness World Record for the largest crane fly specimen. [14][8]
- "Crane flies are a young group that appeared after the dinosaurs." **Myth!** Large crane fly fossils go back to the Late Jurassic, when dinosaurs were alive, and crane fly relatives go back to the Triassic. [5][22][23]
- "Some crane fly larvae spend years under water." **Fact!** Depending on the species, water-living larvae take from a few months to five years to grow up. [13]
- "Every crane fly wing shimmers with hidden rainbow colours." **Myth!** Most do: 12 of 13 species in one study. The giant western crane fly’s thick amber wings showed none. [1]
- "Crane flies only live in Europe and North America." **Myth!** Large crane flies live all over the world. The giant genus Holorusia alone is found in Africa, Asia, Australasia and North America. [5][8]
- "Lots of animals depend on crane flies for food." **Fact!** Birds, bats, small mammals, dragonflies, robber flies and social wasps eat them. In Ireland, large crane flies made up about 57% of the fly detections in brown long-eared bat diets. [10][15]

### Large crane fly records

The biggest, the oldest and the slowest to grow up.

- World’s biggest crane fly: Holorusia mikado, Qingcheng Mountain, China, 11.15 cm wingspan (Found in Sichuan in August 2017, with a body about 5 cm long. A Holorusia mikado specimen holds the 2018 Guinness World Record for the largest crane fly.) [14][8]
- Biggest in North America: Giant western crane fly (Holorusia hespera), 40 mm wings (The largest crane fly species in North America.) [1]
- Tiniest crane flies: The smallest crane fly species, 2 mm wings (Twenty times shorter than a giant western crane fly’s wing.) [1]
- Ancient family: Tipunia (fossil large crane flies), Late Jurassic (The oldest fossils that can be placed in Tipulidae with confidence. A first Early Cretaceous species from Lebanon was described in 2023.) [5][22][24]
- Longest childhood: Some water-living crane fly larvae, up to 5 years (Most of a crane fly’s life is spent as a larva.) [13]
- Big family: Tipulidae, 4,378 species (About 28% of the world’s 15,768 crane fly species.) [21]

### A giant crane fly’s life

From an egg at the stream edge to a big, slow flyer. Some steps come from studies of the giant Holorusia mikado and other close relatives.

- **Day 0**: Egg. A female lays her eggs under water or in wet soil near water. Many crane fly eggs have a thread that may help anchor them. [4][11]
- **5 days to 3+ weeks**: Hatching. In tiger and comb-horned crane flies, eggs took from 5 days to more than 3 weeks to hatch. [12]
- **Months to years**: Larva. The larva lives at leafy stream edges, eats rotting leaves and breathes through the disc on its tail. It grows through four stages. [8][12][11]
- **Up to 5 years**: Long childhood. Depending on the species, life as a larva lasts from a few months to five years. [13]
- **7–8 days**: Pupa. In Holorusia mikado, the pupa stage lasted 7–8 days. [8]
- **Early morning**: Out of the pupa. The adults climbed out between 5 and 9 am. [8]
- **May to July**: Flight season. Most records of giant western crane flies are from May to July, and July is the busiest month. [20]
- **A few days later**: Next eggs. A Holorusia mikado female in the lab laid 70–90 eggs five days after emerging. Adults live only a short time. [8][4]

### Giant vs tiger vs comb-horned crane fly

Three very different members of the large crane fly family.

| | Giant western crane fly | Tiger crane flies | Comb-horned crane flies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scientific name [2][9][6] | Holorusia hespera | Nephrotoma | Ctenophora |
| Colours [2][9][6] | Glossy amber wings, no rainbow sheen | Glossy yellow with black stripes and spots | Shiny black with yellow, orange or red marks |
| Size [1][10][6] | Wings up to 40 mm | A bit smaller than most large crane flies | About 20 mm long |
| Antennae [5][9][6] | Usually 13 segments, like most of the family | Short, with whorls of hairs | Males: comb-like branches |
| Larva lives [8][9][10] | Water and wet ground (in its genus: leafy stream edges) | In soil | Inside rotting wood |
| Found in [20][9][6] | Western North America | Forests, scrub and damp meadows | Old broadleaf forests and orchards |
| Species in Germany [10] | None | 20 | 7 |

German counts come from a 2024 list of 142 large crane flies recorded in Germany.

### Are large crane flies endangered?

Many large crane flies are common, but some need wet forests, clean streams and old dead wood.

- **IUCN Red List:** Not Evaluated (NE) (Trend unknown). We found no IUCN Red List assessment for large crane flies. The giant western crane fly is listed as Not Evaluated. Some species, such as the comb-horned Ctenophora ornata, are described as rare in parts of Europe. [20][25]
- Not assessed by the IUCN Red List
- **Threat: Drained forest wetlands**: European forest wetlands have been shrinking for a long time because of drainage and other human disturbance. [26]
- **Threat: Too-tidy forests**: In a Danish study of 104 crane fly species, managed forests had fewer species than unmanaged ones, for both wood-living and soil-living crane flies. [26]
- **Threat: Drying bogs** (56–81%): In British upland bogs, falling water tables under climate change could cut crane fly numbers by 56–81% by 2051–2080. [27]
- **Threat: Polluted streams**: Water-living larvae are sensitive to pollution, including pesticides washing off lawns into streams. [13]
- **Helping: Rewetting**: Researchers recommend restoring natural water levels and protecting old swamp forests, and then mostly leaving them alone. [26]
- **Helping: Keeping dead wood**: Comb-horned crane flies need places that always have dying and fallen trees. [6]
- **Helping: Recording sightings** (more sites): New records showed the rare Ctenophora ornata lives in more places in Poland than was known. [25]
- **Helping: DNA barcodes** (76 species): A 2024 DNA library covers 76 species, about 54% of Germany’s large crane flies, making it faster to identify them in wildlife surveys. [10]

### Family

- **Giant western crane fly**: Big crane fly with long legs and glossy amber wings up to 40 mm long, the largest crane fly in North America. (Holorusia hespera. Not evaluated by the IUCN) [1][2][20]
- **Tiger crane flies**: Glossy yellow body with black or brown stripes and spots, and a short snout. A bit smaller than most large crane flies. (Nephrotoma. Larvae live in soil and sometimes nibble crops) [9][10]
- **Comb-horned crane flies**: Shiny black, about 20 mm long, with yellow, orange or red marks like a wasp. Males have comb-like antennae. (Ctenophora. Larvae grow up inside rotting wood) [6][10]
- **Water larva**: Legless, plump, tan to grey-green tube with a dark gut line, a head that can pull into the body, and a tail disc ringed by finger-like lobes. (Grows for months to years before turning into a pupa) [13][11][8]

### Large crane fly quiz

1. About how many species of large crane flies (Tipulidae) are known? **About 4,400.** The world catalogue lists 4,378 species and subspecies of Tipulidae. [21]
2. Which is the largest crane fly in North America? **Giant western crane fly.** Holorusia hespera has wings about 40 mm long. [1]
3. How wide was the record crane fly found in China in 2017? **11.15 cm.** The Holorusia mikado specimen had an 11.15 cm wingspan. [14]
4. Which crane flies look like wasps? **Ctenophora.** Comb-horned crane flies (Ctenophora) are shiny black with yellow, orange or red marks. [6]
5. What is special about a male comb-horned crane fly’s antennae? **They have comb-like branches.** Each segment has two pairs of side branches. [6]
6. How does a water-living crane fly larva breathe? **Through breathing holes on a disc at its tail.** It has one pair of spiracles on a disc at the tail end, ringed by finger-like lobes. [11][13]
7. What do most large crane fly larvae eat? **Decaying plants.** Most eat leaf litter, humus or rotting wood. [10]
8. Where do comb-horned crane fly larvae grow up? **Inside rotting wood.** Their larvae feed inside decaying wood, so they need old forests with dead trees. [10][6]
9. How long can a water-living crane fly larva take to grow up? **Up to five years.** From a few months to five years, depending on the species. [13]
10. What did scientists notice about the giant western crane fly’s wings? **They had no rainbow pattern.** Its thick, glossy amber wings showed no rainbow interference pattern. [1]
11. What do adult crane flies that feed usually drink? **Nectar.** Many adults do not eat; those that do tend to drink nectar. [4]
12. How old are the oldest large crane fly fossils? **From the Late Jurassic.** Fossils of Tipunia date to the Late Jurassic. [5][22]

### Sources (checked 2026-10-16)

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2. [Wikipedia. Holorusia hespera.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holorusia_hespera)
3. [Fox JL, Daniel TL (2008). A neural basis for gyroscopic force measurement in the halteres of Holorusia. Journal of Comparative Physiology A 194(10):887–897.](https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-008-0361-z)
4. [Missouri Department of Conservation. Large crane flies (Field Guide).](https://nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/crane-flies)
5. [Wikipedia. Tipulidae.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tipulidae)
6. [Wikipedia. Ctenophora (fly).](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ctenophora_(fly))
7. [Iwamoto H (2017). The earliest molecular response to stretch of insect flight muscle as revealed by fast X-ray diffraction recording. Scientific Reports 7:42272.](https://doi.org/10.1038/srep42272)
8. [Kolcsár LP, Nakamura T, Kato D, Watanabe K (2021). Detailed description and illustration of larva, pupa and imago of Holorusia mikado (Westwood, 1876) (Diptera: Tipulidae) from Japan. Biodiversity Data Journal 9:e58009.](https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.9.e58009)
9. [Wikipedia. Nephrotoma.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nephrotoma)
10. [Fahldieck M, Rulik B, Thormann J, Mengual X (2024). A DNA barcode reference library for the Tipulidae (Insecta, Diptera) of Germany. Biodiversity Data Journal 12:e127190.](https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.12.e127190)
11. [Wikipedia. Crane fly.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crane_fly)
12. [Podeniene V, Naseviciene N, Podenas S (2014). Notes on the first instar larvae of Ctenophora and Nephrotoma (Diptera, Tipulidae). Zootaxa 3764(2).](https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3764.2.3)
13. [Missouri Department of Conservation. Crane fly larvae (Field Guide).](https://nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/crane-fly-larvae)
14. [Moon L (2018). 'World's biggest' mosquito with 11cm wing span found in southwest China. South China Morning Post, 25 April 2018.](https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2143294/worlds-biggest-mosquito-found-southwest-china)
15. [Hurpy G, Aughney T, Skujina I, Roche N, Teeling EC (2025). Metabarcoding reveals the dietary patterns of bats within a unique European habitat, the pasture-dominated landscapes of Ireland. Ecology and Evolution 15(10):e72310.](https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.72310)
16. [Ohio State University Extension. Midges and crane flies, HYG-2129-97 (archived 2004).](https://web.archive.org/web/20040207133629/http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2129.html)
17. [University of Kentucky Entomology. Crane flies of Kentucky (CritterFiles; archived 2017).](https://web.archive.org/web/20170503125002/http://www.uky.edu/Ag/CritterFiles/casefile/insects/flies/craneflies/craneflies.htm)
18. [Williams DD, Williams SS (2017). Aquatic insects and their potential to contribute to the diet of the globally expanding human population. Insects 8(3):72.](https://doi.org/10.3390/insects8030072)
19. [Cook DM, DeCrescenzo Henriksen E, Upchurch R, Peterson JBD (2007). Isolation of polymer-degrading bacteria and characterization of the hindgut bacterial community from the detritus-feeding larvae of Tipula abdominalis (Diptera: Tipulidae). Applied and Environmental Microbiology 73(17):5683–5686.](https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.00213-07)
20. [GBIF. Holorusia hespera Arnaud & Byers, 1990 (taxon 1509602): occurrences and IUCN category.](https://www.gbif.org/species/1509602)
21. [Oosterbroek P. Catalogue of the Craneflies of the World (CCW): statistics. Naturalis Biodiversity Center.](https://ccw.naturalis.nl/stats.php)
22. [Kopeć K, Soszyńska A, Coram RA, Krzemiński W (2023). New species of the enigmatic genus Tipunia (Diptera, Tipulidae) from the Upper Jurassic of Kazakhstan and Lower Cretaceous of England. Cretaceous Research 147:105512.](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2023.105512)
23. [Lukashevich ED, Ribeiro GC (2019). Mesozoic fossils and the phylogeny of Tipulomorpha (Insecta: Diptera). Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 17(8):635–652.](https://doi.org/10.1080/14772019.2018.1448899)
24. [Azar D, Nel A (2023). The first Early Cretaceous representative of the fly family Tipulidae from the lower Barremian dysodiles of Lebanon (Diptera). Zootaxa 5396(1):58–63.](https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5396.1.11)
25. [Bąkowski M, Bruder D, Piątek W (2011). Distribution of a rare crane fly Ctenophora ornata Meigen, 1818 (Diptera, Tipulidae) in Poland. Fragmenta Faunistica 54(1):43–46.](https://doi.org/10.3161/00159301FF2011.54.1.043)
26. [Byriel DB, Justesen MJ, Kepfer-Rojas S, Gottlieb L, Schmidt IK (2025). Unmanaged forest swamps benefit saproxylic and soil-inhabiting crane fly communities. Insect Conservation and Diversity 19(2):349–359.](https://doi.org/10.1111/icad.70028)
27. [Carroll MJ, Heinemeyer A, Pearce-Higgins JW, et al. (2015). Hydrologically driven ecosystem processes determine the distribution and persistence of ecosystem-specialist predators under climate change. Nature Communications 6:7851.](https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms8851)

## Measurements & details

- **Wingspan:** 25-111.5 mm
- **Size:** 15-50 mm
- **Lifespan:** 5-15 days
- **Leg Count:** 6

## Diet & Feeding

Adults sip nectar or don't eat, but larvae munch on decaying plants or plant roots.

- **Age differences:** Most larvae feed on decaying plant matter, and some eat plant roots. Adults often do not eat at all during their short lives; those that do usually drink nectar.
- **Primary Foods:** decaying leaves, humus, rotting wood, plant roots, nectar
- **Foraging Method:** Foraging

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** [Little brown bat](https://www.snappit.app/explore/little-brown-bat) (*Myotis lucifugus*) — Hunts flying insects like crane flies at night.
- **Eaten by:** Garden orb-weaver (*Araneus diadematus*) — Catches adults in its sticky web.
- **Eats:** [Kentucky bluegrass](https://www.snappit.app/explore/kentucky-bluegrass) (*Poa pratensis*) — The larvae of some species eat the roots.

## Traits

- [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care.
- [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
- [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.
- [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night.
- [Giant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/giant): Giant describes organisms or objects of significantly larger size than average for their species or type.

## Collections

- [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/insects)

## Safety

**Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger

Crane flies are not dangerous, so you can watch them without worry!

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Large Crane Flies?

Look for six legs, antennae, three body sections and the shape of the wings. Beetles have hardened front wings; flies have just one working pair. Tiny insects may need a close view before their group is clear. Insect Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### What is Large Crane Flies's wingspan?

25-111.5 mm

### How big is Large Crane Flies?

15-50 mm

### How long does Large Crane Flies live?

5-15 days

### What does Large Crane Flies eat?

Adults sip nectar or don't eat, but larvae munch on decaying plants or plant roots.

### Where is Large Crane Flies usually found?

Streams, wetlands, forests, and damp meadows

### How many legs does Large Crane Flies have?

6

## Where to spot

- [Twanoh State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/twanoh-state-park) — Washington, US · State Park

## More Insects

- [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*)
- [Spotted Lanternfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spotted-lanternfly) (*Lycorma delicatula*)
- [Brown-belted Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-belted-bumble-bee) (*Bombus griseocollis*)
- [Eastern Carpenter Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-carpenter-bee) (*Xylocopa virginica*)

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Source: [Large Crane Flies: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/large-crane-flies)