Phil Bendle Collection:Cranefly (Genus Zelandotipula)

Kingdom:   Animalia
Phylum:     Arthropoda
Class:        Insecta
Order:        Diptera
Suborder:   Nematocera
Infraorder: Tipulomorpha
Superfamily:       Tipuloidea
Family:      Tipulidae
Subfamily: Tipulinae
Genus:       Zelandotipula

Zelandotipula is a genus of the true crane fly. It is one of New Zealand’s largest tipulid craneflies with freshwater larvae. The larvae have a worm-like body with a head usually retracted. The breathing apparatus at the tip of the tail (spiracular disc) is surrounded 6 hair-fringed lobes. The typical habitats of the Zelandotipula larvae are slow flowing muddy habitats. The larvae fed on plant detritus, streambed algae and other invertebrates.

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Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

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