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Crane Fly
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| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note |
You probably think that saturated yellow from the background is a artificial background but actually is a leaf. The zone were i shoot this two weeks ago is a mountain zone (Zarnesti). In that zone the leafs from the trees are already turning yellow even in the rest of the country is still summer.
p.s. i use the camera flash covered with a paper napkin and set to -2Ev power.
SPECIES INFO: (with the help to cicindela and lesinlondon)
Tipula maxima (Tipulidae - Craneflies or Daddy-long-legs) - the biggest Central European fly species and also on of the biggest fly in Europe (especially if we look at lenght of legs and wing-span). Body lenght: 3-3.5 cm, wing-span - 6 cm or even more!
For the first view craneflies are a little similar to mosquitos (Culicidae), but all of them are vegetarians! Larvae of these flies often live in the soil or in the water where they are scavengers or feed on roots of different plant species. Adults may lap nectar or even do not eat anything in their short adult life. So they absolutely do not drink human blood!! :)
Many of these insects can be found near the water, especially in forest and mountain areas.
In some species of Tipulidae the sexual dimorfism can be easy recognized - in males the antennae are pectinated while in females they are just simple. In a few species females are also wingless. |
mbasil, cicindela, NinaM has marked this note useful
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- mbasil
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 335 W: 148 N: 745]](https://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-g-g.gif)
(3320) - [2008-09-10 14:07]
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Wow, not that's a MACRO Anghel. Amazing details and lovely cg (color and blur). Very nicely done!
Mike
Interesting composition. I like it! Maybe you could have used slower shutter to gain more dof?, nevertheless, I the angle make this a good image.
Oh, it looks like a *Crane Fly (they don't bite and are harmless) rather than a Mosquito. *have alook here http://www.treknature.com/gallery/Europe/United_Kingdom/England/photo179692.htm
Hello Anghel!
When I saw that this photo was taken in Zarnesti my heart started to bit faster :> This is lovely place which I visited 3 times :)
According to the picture - you are right, the yellow colour looked not very natural until I found in your note that this was a leaf :) Good to know that it is not artificial BG :)
Anyway, according to the insect I believe that this is not member of Culicidae but Tipulidae. In Culicidae males have totaly different antennae (so we can exclude males...) and female (which have antennae like this specimen) have totaly different mouth-parts evolved to blood-sucking. This one does not have anything like that, and more over I think this species is vegetarian :) One more additional thing why I believe that this is Tipulidae fly - the wings are not under the abdomen - they are placed on both sides of it, typical for Tipulidae :) If you like please feel free to compare your specimen with Tipula species presented here :)
Best greetings from Poland,
Radomir
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- NinaM
![Gold Star Critiquer [C: 773 W: 3 N: 1157]](https://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-n-n.gif)
(4077) - [2008-09-11 15:12]
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It looks like the king of un unknown tribe in a very far galaxy. I just love your picture, it is inspiring, inspired, really, something happened there! It is amazing, filled with grace and beauty. I have looked at it a looong time, thank you!
Francine
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