Crane fly

Tipulidae

This smallish crane fly dropped into my kitchen this morning, and posed very prettily before taking off again. When I blew the photo up I was fascinated by the green halteres (modified wings), which are used for balance.

Best seen in large.

Context: The diagonal line of light marks the bend in my workbench between the vertical above, and the horizontal below. The beige squares measure 1mm across.


We had the third brilliant sunny day in a row. It's surprising how uplifting and energising a few days of sunshine can be after weeks of mostly dull weather.