Powered by
TranslateTipula maxima
Tipula Maxima (Poda, 1761)
Family: Tipulinae.
Legs can span 100mm.
This is the largest of all British Crane flies and not just by its size is it easily recognised, but also for its distinctive wing pattern.
Season: April to September
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 areas include fields, rough grasslands, unkept gardens, farmland and woodlands.
The larvae enter an aquatic existence, just below the water's surface, then continue to develop amongst various submerged vegetation.
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 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 August/September you will see the females flying in a bobbing motion low over grasslands near water to lay their eggs.
Read MoreFamily: Tipulinae.
Legs can span 100mm.
This is the largest of all British Crane flies and not just by its size is it easily recognised, but also for its distinctive wing pattern.
Season: April to September
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 areas include fields, rough grasslands, unkept gardens, farmland and woodlands.
The larvae enter an aquatic existence, just below the water's surface, then continue to develop amongst various submerged vegetation.
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 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 August/September you will see the females flying in a bobbing motion low over grasslands near water to lay their eggs.
