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

^ ^a ^b "Tipula vestigipennis". iNaturalist. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
^ ^a ^b 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.
^ ^a ^b ^c 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.

This Tipulidae article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[inaturalist-Tipula_vestigipennis-1] "Tipula vestigipennis". iNaturalist. Retrieved 17 June 2025.

[Doane-1908-2] 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.

[Alexander-1967-3] 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.

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