Crane Fly Identification

Crane Fly Identification
By Eric LaGasa, Washington State Department of Agriculture A Graphic Guide for Identification of Adult European Craneflies; Tipula paludosa and T. oleracea (Diptera:Tipulidae) The cranefly known as the European cranefly in the Pacific Northwest, Tipula paludosa Meigan, is an introduced exotic pest first found in the region in 1965 in British Columbia, Canada. Since then, it has gradually spread into Washington State and parts of Western Oregon and has become the most serious economic pest of lawns, pastures and hayfields in the northwest. In 1998, a second, closely related cranefly species from Europe was found in the Pacific Northwest. The new species, Tipula oleracea L., is almost identical in appearance to T. paludosa and similar biologically. It is also considered a serious pest of turf and other plants in its native Europe. However, T. oleracea can complete two generations per year (European cranefly has one) and adult T. oleracea emerge in the spring as well as the fall, when most European craneflies emerge. Between 1998 and 1999, Tipula oleracea was found in a few locations in Western British Columbia, Western Washington, and Western Oregon, but the extent of the currently infested area is not known. The following graphics and information have been developed by the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) to help future efforts to delimit the distribution of T. oleracea in North America. Please read on....
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