Tipula vernalis (Meigen, 1804)
Family: Tipulinae.
Season: April to June
This is a common and widespread Cranefly, found over most of the UK and Europe.
Habitat…. A wide variety of habitats, mainly damp, mossy, habitats are preferred. Close to ponds, streams and ditches, where the female will lay her eggs, these damp marshy areas include fields, rough grasslands, unkept gardens, farmland and woodlands.
They have one pair of wings which they use for lift and a pair of halters (balancers) which look like a pair of tiny baseball bats, just behind the wings. They work like gyroscopes, helping the fly to keep its balance in the air.
The larvae mainly feed on the roots of plants, the adults feed on nectar.
The legs are very fragile and break off easily, this maybe a natures strategy to evade capture from birds. Crane flies are quite harmless and the pointed tip is purely used for egg-laying.
In late June, if lucky, you will see the females flying in a bobbing motion low over grasslands near water to lay their eggs.