Insect · GBIF taxon 1505543
European Crane Fly
Tipula paludosaAlso known as Leatherjacket, Marsh Crane Fly
European crane flies resemble giant mosquitoes, though adults are completely harmless to humans and lack biting mouthparts. Their tough, soil-dwelling larvae, known as leatherjackets, feed voraciously on grass roots and foliage, making them prominent turf pests. Adults emerge in late summer to mate and lay eggs in moist lawns during a brief life span focused entirely on reproduction.
FlyInsectInvasive
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Grass roots
- Plant stems
- Decaying vegetation
Predators
- Birds
- Bats
- Ground beetles
ThreatsTargeted pesticide application and soil cultivation
HabitatsLawns, pastures, damp grasslands, and agricultural fields
Life span1 year
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderDiptera
- FamilyTipulidae
- GenusTipula
- SpeciesTipula paludosa
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Observing Adults: Look for leggy flies hovering low over turf on damp late summer evenings.
- Distinguishing Mosquitoes: Notice the large size and lack of biting mouthparts to confirm harmlessness.
- Managing Lawns: Aerate compacted soil to reduce suitable egg-laying conditions in turf grass.
Predator (c) Shiva Shenoy, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Shiva Shenoy · cc-by
Close Relative no rights reserved · cc0
Close Relative (c) Douglas Hooper, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Douglas Hooper · cc-by
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