Invert Tuesdays: Tipulidae

Say cheese! This week we look at the posterior end of the crane fly, what we call Tipulidae. This leathery skinned animal may look like it’s staring at you, but the head is actually on the other end! Those dark circles are called spiracles, and this is what Tipulidae uses to breathe. Amazing right!? The fleshy lobes that are all around the spiracles are thus appropriately called spiracular lobes. In the lab we look at how many there are, their shape, as well as other features to help identify what the animal is.  

They spend most of their life in the larval stage (what we find) and play an important role in the ecosystem. They are not only food for fish and other animals, but they also help decompose organic materials such as leaves and wood that have fallen into the water.