#2309 - Zelandotipula novarae - Swamp Crane Fly
While @purrdence and I were waiting for Dinosaur House to open, I spotted this enormous and lovely crane fly on the wall next to the door (a minute but equally lovely Erythraeid mite wandered past later).
Surprisingly, not the largest of New Zealand's craneflies.
Zelandotipula larvae are most common in muddy habitats including shallow soft-bottom streams and seepages, where they feed on algae, rotting vegetable detritus, and other invertebrates. Their spiracular disc - the breathing apparatus at the tip of the tail - is surrounded by a star-like arrangement of 6 hair-fringed lobes. Disc anatomy is a very important feature when identifying cranefly species.
Raetihi, North Island Volcanic Plateau, New Zealand
