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Home > Pest Survey & Management > Pest Information > European Crane Fly

European Crane Fly, Tipula paludosa

Tipula paludosa is from Europe where it is a pest of lawns, turf, pastures, and seedling nurseries. It was discovered in Nova Scotia in 1955, and then in British Columbia in 1965. European crane fly adultSince then, it has gradually spread into Washington, Oregon and Northern California. Thought to be confined to coastal areas, T. paludosa was identified in Ontario in 1998 after unusual turf damage was noted. In 2004, it was discovered in New York State. A similar species also from Europe, Tipula oleracea (Common, or Marsh, crane fly) has been recently detected in the Pacific Northwest (1998) and New York (2004).

Adults of Tipula paludosa and Tipula oleracea look like large mosquitoes, with body lengths of up to one inch and wingspans of up to two inches. They emerge from underground pupal cases in August and September. Females lay hundreds of eggs on the ground within 24 hours. Larvae emerge within two weeks, developing slowly through winter and reaching maturity by May or June. Larvae of the two species are are called leatherjackets. The are cylindrical, 1½ inches long at maturity, and have a gray to greenish-brown, tough leathery skiny.

Leatherjackets feed on underground plant parts during the day and will emerge to feed on stems and grass blades on damp warm nights. This feeding can cause patches of lawn and turf to die leaving bare soil. Often it takes several years and high densities of leatherjackets (50-80 per square foot) to cause substantial turf and lawn damage, especially if the soil is good and the lawn is healthy. Damage can also occur on golf greens from birds pecking out the larvae during the spring.

For more information visit these sites:

UMass Extension
Cornell University News Service
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture
Washington State University

If you suspect European crane fly presence or damage, please contact the Maine Department of Agriculture, (207) 287-3891.