Tipula californica

Doane, 1908

California Tipula

Tipula californica is a crane fly in the Tipulidae, placed in the subgenus Hesperotipula. It is a Nearctic species distributed from British Columbia southward through California. As with other crane flies, are characterized by their elongated legs and slender bodies, though specific morphological details distinguishing this species from require examination of key characters.

Tipula californica by (c) Don Loarie, some rights reserved (CC BY). Used under a CC-BY license.

Tipula californica 125550 by Don Loarie. Used under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Tipula californica: //ˈtɪpjʊlə ˌkælɪˈfɔːrnɪkə//

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Identification

Belongs to subgenus Hesperotipula; specific diagnostic features separating it from other Tipula in this subgenus and from the widespread T. oleracea group require examination of wing venation, male terminalia, or female ovipositor structure. The "California Tipula" reflects its geographic association, but this alone is not diagnostic.

Images

Distribution

British Columbia, Canada south to California, USA; Nearctic region.

Similar Taxa

Tipula oleracea groupWidespread crane flies with which T. californica may be confused; distinguished by subgeneric placement in Hesperotipula and geographic distribution
Other Hesperotipula speciesShare subgeneric characters; require detailed morphological examination for separation