Crane fly

The crane fly has a long, slim body and large narrow wings. When captured, it can easily lose one of its leg, so that its predator focuses on the still moving limb while the crane fly is able to escape to safety. They are poor and awkward flyers and are only capable of flying a short distance. Many types of crane flies even have underdeveloped wings.

The male crane fly differs from the female by its posterior. The male posterior is wider on account of its mating organ, whereas the females have a elongated posterior to take a similar shape. The adults of many species of crane fly only live for a short period of time and live off nectar and other fluids. Their typical habitat is damp, dark places, often near water. Their long legs serve mainly to balance their center of gravity when moving and also serve for mutual scanning among individuals.

The crane fly deposits its eggs in a damp environment, sometimes even in water. The larvae have a long, solid, cylindrical body and live in mud, rotting wood, birds’ nests and pools and are an important part of the diet of other animals, particularly birds. Crane fly pupae develop in the mud or even in the water. The pupae are very mobile, and their bodies are covered in fine spikes, which allow them to change their location. During reproduction, the larvae can cause damage to vegetation in meadows or fields, since they live off dead organic matter.

The most common type of crane fly in the Czech Republic is the giant crane fly (Tipula maxima), which is the largest European two-winged insect. Another species, Chionea lutescens, can also be found here. It is wingless and is suited to life in low temperatures, and is thus found at higher elevations.