Large Crane Flies

Tipulidae is a family of large crane flies in the order Diptera. There are more than 30 genera and 4,200 described species in Tipulidae, common and widespread throughout the world.

A crane fly can be identified as a member of Tipulidae by its maxillary palps, which is the pair of appendages that hang down from the front of its head. If the fourth segment (the furthest from the body) of the maxillary palp is longer than the other three combined, then it is likely to be a member of Tipulidae. There are also usually 13 segments in the antennae of large crane flies, compared to 14 or 16 in the common limoniid crane flies. See [1] for details of morphology.

The oldest fossils that can be assigned confidently to Tipulidae sensu stricto are those of the genus Tipunia, which date to the Late Jurassic.