Tipula vestigipennis

Tipula vestigipennis
male specimen of Tipula vestigipennis found in Montara, CA
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Diptera
Family:	Tipulidae
Genus:	Tipula
Subgenus:	Triplicitipula
Species:	T. vestigipennis
Binomial name
Tipula vestigipennis Doane, 1908

Tipula vestigipennis is a species of crane fly in the family Tipulidae, found in the western United States. ^[1]

Description

Males are typically 15mm in body length with a wing length of 5-9mm. Females are typically 22mm in body length with a wing length of 5-6mm.

• 
  T. Vestigipennis wing diagram

The overall color of the subjects can be described as "brownish yellow". The following is a list of characteristics:

• Yellowish head and rostrum (gray above), sometimes with a brownish stripe
• Palpi is yellowish towards the base and brownish towards the tip
• The first, second, and third segments of the antennae are yellow with the remaining segments brownish and getting darker towards the tip of the antennae
• Each brown antennae segment is furnished with 4-5 stiff hairs
• Collar is yellowish with median and lateral brownish spots
• Dorsum of the thorax is a light yellow
  • Dorsal stripes are yellow
  • Median stripe divided by a broad yellow line
• Pleura and coxae are hairy
• Seutellum is yellow and lighter laterally with a narrow median brown line
• Metanotum is light yellow
• Halteres are yellow with black knobs
• Femora and tibia are yellowish and darker towards the tip
• Tarsi are brownish to blackish
• Abdomen has broad dorsal, lateral, and ventral brown stripes
• Seventh and eighth segments are often almost entirely blackish or brownish
• The posterior margin of the eighth sternite of the male is slightly curved, with a broad shallow median incision which is usually filled with light-colored membrane
  • From this membrane, two tufts of light yellow hairs arise, which cross each other close to the base at about a 45° angle
• Broad sub-triangular chitinized plates are attached to the lateral margins of the eighth sternite which stand at right angles to it
• Posterior margin of the ninth tergite has a broad and shallow circular incision
  • In the middle of this incision, two short triangular processes arise
• The ovipositor is long and stout
  • Straight, acute upper valves
  • Lower valves almost reach the tip of the upper valves
  • Rounded tips

^[2]

Range

Tipula vestigipennis is found exclusively in San Francisco County and San Mateo County. ^{[1] [3]}

Ecology

As with all Triplicitipula , T. vestigipennis is considered a pest. It is destructive to vegetation and crops. ^[3]

Taxonomy

Tipula vestigipennis was first described by Rennie Wilbur Doane in Psyche (1908). ^{[2] [3]}

Gallery

• 
  T. vestigipennis hypopygium (male)
• 
  T. vestigipennis hypopygium (male)
• 
  T. vestigipennis hypopygium (male)
• 
  T. vestigipennis male specimen
• 
  T. vestigipennis female specimen

References

1. "Tipula vestigipennis". iNaturalist. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
2. Doane, Rennie W. (1908). "Psyche" (PDF). A New Species of Tipula with Vestigial Wings. Stanford University. Retrieved 17 June 2025. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
3. Alexander, Charles P. (1967). "The Crane Flies of California" (PDF). Bulletin of the California Insect Survey Volume 8. Essig Museum of Entomology. Retrieved 17 June 2025.