| Tipula (Lunatipula) fascipennis (Meigen, 1818) |
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Scientific name: Tipula (Lunatipula) fascipennis (Meigen, 1818) Common name: French name: Order: Diptera Family: Tipulidae Wingspan : Body size: 15 to 18 mm. Biotope: Meadows, gardens. Geographic area: West Palaearctic region. Observation period : April to August. |
Tipulidae, also called Crane Flies, are remarkable by their very long and fragile legs which can easily detach from the body. You can recognize the members of the Tipulidae family by the V-shape suture of the mesonotum, on the upper side of the thorax between the base of the wings, by their long snout and by they wing veins with two anal veins reaching the edge of the wing. The Crane flies of the Tipula genus are characterized by the sub-costal vein joining the radial vein (Tipulinae family), by the presence of a discal cell, by long legs and by thread-like antennae with 13 articles. The Lunatipula subgenus gathers all the species showing a whitish lunule, just before the stigma, reaching or exceeding the position of the discal cell. There are many species in this subgenus including Tipula lunata, Tipula cava, Tipula bullata, Tipula fascipennis, Tipula vernalis, etc. There are keys to tell species apart. There are generally split for males and females. The following description is restricted to females and may be extended to males if I succeed in identifying one. Tipula fascipennis' wings are slightly brownish with darker edges. They show a very developed white lunule before the stigma, almost reaching the lower edge of the wing. The ovipositor at the abdomen tip is reduced and the upper cerci are very short. The upper side of the thorax is dark grey with hardly visible stripes. Thoracic pleura are grey. |
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This upper side view shows a white lunule before the stigma crossing the entire wing. The ovipositor's upper cerci are very short. So this one is a female Tipula (Lunatipula) fascipennis. |
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Side view with the grey pleura. |
André Bon March 2022