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Tipula maxima
This is the largest of the region craneflies. It has a leg span of 10 cm, and a wingspan of 6 cm. The adults mouth is deformed so they cannot bite nor even lick anything. Adults do not feed. Their eyes are simple, not composed so their vision is poorer than that of a common fly. Females have a pointed abdomen to lay the eggs but neither them nor the males have sting. T. maxima has quite distinctive, heavily patterned wings. Its life cycle includes an aquatic phase. The female lays her eggs in the damp mossy fringes of ponds, ditches and streams. On hatching, the larvae take to an aquatic existence just below the water surface before continuing their development in submerged leaf litter.
It prefers moist areas and often well wooded places. Spotted high in the mountains (above 1900 m.) in an area with few trees, and many shrubs like juniper and broom. Parque Nacional de Sierra de Guadarrama, Peñalara
Camera Model: NIKON D300. Exposure Time: 1/60 sec., f/32, ISO Speed Rating: 800. Exposure Bias: -1 EV. Focal Length: 90.0 mm.
Spotted on Jul 23, 2014
Submitted on Oct 29, 2014
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