Tipula maxima

This is the largest of the British craneflies. It has a leg span of 100 mm, and it has quite distinctive, heavily patterned wings.

Moist areas and often in well wooded places.

April to August

As with several other craneflies, dragonflies, midges and mosquitos, its development 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.

Common and widespread in Britain.

Fairly frequent in Leicestershire and Rutland