Phil Bendle Collection:Cranefly (Giant) Austrotipula hudsoni

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Suborder: Nematocera
Infraorder: Tipulomorpha
Superfamily: Tipuloidea
Family: Tipulidae
Species: Austrotipula
Scientific name: Austrotipula hudsoni
Common name: Giant Cranefly

The New Zealand Giant crane (Austrotipula hudsoni) which can have a body length of 30mm is New Zealand largest fly.  Found in wet forests south of Rotoroa.[1]

The photo below-showing halteres ( the knobbed stalks) on crane fly just behind the wings. These halteres operate as vibrating gyroscopes. Click on photo for an enlargement.[2]

Photos below are of Austrotipula hudsoni larvae found in the earth under an old rotting log in the Pureroa Forest, Central North Island.
[3]

[4]

[5]

  

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

---