Outdoor Ontario

Wildlife Reports => Toronto Wildlife => Topic started by: gary yankech on May 26, 2011, 12:47:07 PM

Title: cranefly
Post by: gary yankech on May 26, 2011, 12:47:07 PM

Found this Crane Fly in Rouge Park, trying to get a species ID on it but discovered how tough it is, not much literature on Crane flies. Apparently there are only two widely used guides out on Crane flies.

 (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2193/5751950855_cf0933a3a5_b.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/49663413@N08/5751950855/)
Crane Fly species unknown (http://www.flickr.com/photos/49663413@N08/5751950855/) by Gary Yankech (http://www.flickr.com/people/49663413@N08/), on Flickr

(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3282/5752494482_c65501ae39_b.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/49663413@N08/5752494482/)
Crane Fly Species unknown (http://www.flickr.com/photos/49663413@N08/5752494482/) by Gary Yankech (http://www.flickr.com/people/49663413@N08/), on Flickr

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Post by: Moira on May 26, 2011, 12:55:16 PM

Awesome catch!!

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Post by: Bird Brain on May 26, 2011, 02:33:22 PM

Wow, spectacular photos!   8)

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Post by: Bluffs Birder on May 26, 2011, 04:56:23 PM

Hi Gary,

You might want to create you own book of Craneflies with shots like these!  Great angles!

I did a search and found this excellent website for Pennsylvania Craneflies.  Probably pretty much the same flies we'll see here.
http://iz.carnegiemnh.org/cranefly/

Your photos are of a Tipula (Yamatotipula) caloptera, not sure if it has a common name.
Take a look under:  Info and Images - Tipulidae - Tipulinae - Tipula (Yamatotipula) caloptera

Hope this helps,
Walter

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Post by: gary yankech on May 26, 2011, 07:16:34 PM

thanks for the comments and tips! I checked the cranefly website.....I think you are right about the species Walter. I have submitted my photos to bugguide.net to confirm this. Thanks again.

Gary Yankech

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Post by: ravynne40 on May 27, 2011, 09:32:43 PM

What an interesting fly. Great shots and detail.
I don't think I have ever seen one of these before. Thanks for sharing.

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Post by: Halton Hills on May 28, 2011, 07:10:02 AM

Quote from: "ravynne40"

I don't think I have ever seen one of these before.

In the late summer and fall they're very common.......especially around lawn areas where they lay their eggs.

They literally look like giant mosquitoes.......usually sitting on walls or greenery on cool mornings.

The larvae (Leatherjackets) can do damage (in large numbers) to your lawn in the spring.


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