Cranefly Larva

• Phylulm Arthropoda (Jointed Legs)
• Class Insecta (Six Legs)
• Order Odonata ("two-wings"; true flies)
• Family Tipulidae

Other Names

• Adults are sometimes called "giant mosquitoes" or "daddy-long-legs"

Larvae Appearance Soft, plump and segmented body resembling a caterpillar No legs Head is pulled-in (retracted) and barely visible Back end has several lobes that can be confused for a head and legs A star-shaped disk of tentacles at the end of the abdomen for breathing surface air Skin is transparent The dark-coloured digestive tract can be seen moving back and forth as the larva crawls.

Larvae Appearance

Larvae Behavior

• "Crawl" by wriggling their bodies
• Have been observed crawling in the silt on the bottom of a cold spring pool near Caroline, Alberta
• Found in bottom sediments or in waterlogged wood and soil

Larvae Feeding Type

• Most species eat plant material
• Shredders on leaf litter
• Produce smaller organic particles for gatherers

Adult Appearance Adult craneflies look like giant mosquitoes with long, dangling legs Brown body with clear wings Males have skinny abdomens with a ball structure at the tip Harmless and do not bite Short-lives and do not eat Adult Behavior Awkward fliers and can be seen bumping into the corners of walls Found in shaded forests where they feed on nectar One type of cranefly is wingless, black and resembles a spider with only six legs. It can be seem slowly walking over the surface of snow in early spring. This cranefly is not aquatic.

Adult Appearance

• Quiet or still water

Reproduction

• Complete metamorphosis
• The life cycle includes egg, larvae, pupae and adult stages
• Grub-like larvae metamorphose into winged adults
• Adults exist to mate, lay eggs and die soon after

Larvae Pollution Tolerance

• Can breath surface air when oxygen levels are low
• Moderately pollution tolerant
• Large numbers may indicate fair water quality