Tipula oleracea extreme closeup

This closeup shows their strange head and the joints where their ultra long legs come together.

comments (2)

WildFlower

Lion

That's an amazing set of macros, Ferdy!
I am not sure about the ID though... Tipula oleracea has 13 antennal segments with bristles or chaetae in the base of each segment. It looks as this one has fewer segments and no bristles.
There seems to be a mix of several species of craneflies within this ID. There are so many of them that it is very hard to identify them. There is a large collection here http://ip30.eti.uva.nl/ccw/index.php Posted 12 years ago
1. Ferdy Christant
  
  Lion
  
  Thanks! You are probably right about the ID. I based it on dutch Wikipedia who mentions this one as one of the most common types. I then compared some characteristics such as wing size, color, where it occurs and during which months it appears and came to this ID. It is quite possible that it is still wrong, I'll happily correct it once I know a better ID. Posted 12 years ago