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Crane Flies - Family Tipulidae

This page contains pictures and information about Crane Flies that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.

Flies in this family look like giant mosquitoes (mosquitoes will not be that large). However, not like mosquitoes, they do not feed on blood. Crane flies only drink water but do not feed at adult stage. Most of them have long thin legs and slender body.  They are sometimes commonly known as daddy-long-legs

Crane Fly larvae of most species live in fresh water, damp soil or rotting plants. They feed on decaying vegetable matter.


Subfamily TIPULINAE,

Tiger Crane Fly
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Nephrotoma australasiae, body length 15mm
This large Crane Fly is common in Brisbane forest. They have yellow body with black bands on abdomen, slender body and very long legs. Notice the 'V' shape pattern on its thorax. More pictures and information please click on here.
  
 
Crane Fly
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Leptotarsus sp., body length 15mm
 
 

Subfamily LIMONIINAE

Crane Fly
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Gynoplistia sp., body length 16mm
Picture was taken near Yugarapul Park in mid summer.  
 
 
Crane Fly
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? sp., body Length 15mm
Crane Fly also called 'Daddy-long-legs', with long and thin legs. Their legs are not for walking but to hang from plants. In the first picture, some legs of the Crane Fly are lost. Also notice the hind wings are reduce to the club-shaped halteres, which is the characteristic of flies.
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Crane Fly unidentified yet

Crane Fly
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? sp., body Length 15mm
We saw a lot of this fly flying on grasses in late summer.
 
 
Two Crane fly
? sp., body length 10mm
We took this picture on early summer in our backyard.
 
 
Crane Fly resting on tree trunk
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? sp., body length 25mm
This fly hardly be seen when resting on tree trunk.
 
 
Crane Fly resting on Spider web
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? sp., body length 20mm
Sometimes we see a group of Crane Flies resting on the tangled web of Comb-footed Spider. Obviously, they are not captured by the spider web for they can fly away freely. They seem just rest on there to gain protection from the spider web.  
 
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Last updated: January 11, 2005.