Stats

Lifespan

A few weeks

Size

Large

Diet

Herbivore

Activity

Crepuscular

Social

Solitary

Biome

Freshwater wetland

Range

Worldwide

Movement

Flight

Breeding

Egg-laying

Defense

Camouflage

Status

Common

About

Long-legged flies that drift through damp meadows, woodlands, and porch lights on summer nights. Adults live only a few days and often skip eating entirely, surviving on fuel stored as larvae.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   egg

   A small egg is laid on or near the larval food source and hatches within days or weeks.
2. 2.
   juvenile

   An immature insect feeds and molts, growing through successive instars.
3. 3.
   subadult

   A near-adult insect has wing buds or near-mature form, one molt away from full size.
4. 4.
   adult

   Fully grown, with full wings and adult coloration.

Learn more

• View on iNaturalist →
• Watch on YouTube →

Taxonomy

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Diptera

Family

Tipulidae