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Project Noah Nature School
The adult crane fly has a slender body and stilt-like legs that are deciduous, easily coming off the body. The wingspan is generally about 1-6.5 cm. The antennae have upto 30 segments. It's also characterised by by a V-shaped suture on the thorax and by its wing ventation. The rostrum is long; in some species it is as long as the head and thorax together.
Semi-urban building surrounded by thick forests.
Crane flies are found worldwide, though individual species usually have limited ranges. They are most diverse in tropics, and are also common in northern latitudes and high elevations. The Tipulidae sensu lato is one of the largest groups of flies,including over 15,000 species and sub-species in 525 genera and sub-genera. The family Sensu stricto includes over 4,000 species in 115 genera. Most crane flies were described by Entomologist Chrles Paul Alexander, a fly specialist, in over 1,000 research publications. I thought the ventral view is rare. Spotted this giant hanging from the edge of a tin sheet with its abdomen exposed towards me!
Spotted on May 1, 2014
Submitted on May 20, 2014
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