Giant cranefly

Tipula maxima · Order: Diptera · Family: Tipulidae

No source yet on danger. We have no source yet on whether it bites, stings or damages anything.
Giant cranefly
Photo: unknown, CC0

It occurs widely across the western Palaearctic region.

Source: Wikipedia

How to recognize it

Tipula maxima is a true cranefly.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it lives

It is found throughout the western Palaearctic.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it comes from

Its range covers the western Palaearctic.

Source: Wikipedia

More photos

Giant cranefly photo 3
Photo: unknown, CC0

Same family (Tipulidae)

European Crane FlyEuropean Crane FlyTipula paludosaDamages trees, gardens or cropsMarsh Crane FlyMarsh Crane FlyTipula oleraceaDamages trees, gardens or cropsFerruginous Tiger Crane FlyFerruginous Tiger Crane FlyNephrotoma ferrugineaGiant Crane FlyGiant Crane FlyTipula abdominalisSpotted CraneflySpotted CraneflyNephrotoma appendiculataTipula dorsimaculaTipula dorsimaculaTipula dorsimacula

Sources

  • Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tipula_maxima

Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia

Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.

How this page works

This is one bug's fact sheet. The colored box at the top says whether it is dangerous. Sections below cover how to recognize it, whether it is a pest, and how to deal with it. The US map shows which states have records; tap a state to see other bugs there.

Every fact on Bug FAQ comes from a named source (university extension sites, government agencies, GBIF, iNaturalist, Wikipedia). The source is linked next to each section. If we have no source for something, we leave it out.