The Wildlife of
Gibside

 
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Flies - The Crane Fly

First seen on Thursday 27th May 2021 at Gibside

The Crane fly is one of the largest of the fly species, and is easily identified by its incredibly long legs. For this reason it is known by children as a daddy longlegs (as is the harvestman spider). Adult Crane Flies do not really feed, other than sometimes lapping nectar from flowers. There are quite a few species, and you can get more exotic members such as the tiger crane fly (which has yellow and black markings). This one is actually called Tipula vernalis and is identified by the patterns of wing spots, and the more obvious bright green eyes.