Tiger Crane Fly

Description:

This crane fly is approximately 1 inch in length. The head is small and yellow-orange. The thorax is yellow-orange with reddish-brown markings. The abdomen is mostly yellow-orange with black dashes. Some have a black band near the tip. The female (Photo #1) has a pointed tip on the abdomen and the male (Photo #2&3) has a rounded, bulbous tip. The wings are clear except for an orange-brown strip along the leading edge ending in a dark brown S-shaped mark. The legs are long and brown.

Habitat:

Hedgerows, verges and grassy places. Normally seen April to August. Adults take nectar and pollen from flowers such as Hogweed. Their larvae are virtually indistinguishable from small Tipula leather-jacket grubs.