Daddy Long-legs

Name: Daddy Long-legs

Scientific name: Tipula oleracea

Category: Minibeasts

Nature Stars: 20

What are nature stars?

About: The Daddy Long-legs is actually a large species of Cranefly, of which there are 94 species in Britain. It is about 2.5cm long, with enormously long, spindly legs up to 5cm long each. The legs fall off very easily if handled. The larvae are grey grubs known as leatherjackets and live underground, feeding on roots. The adults are on the wing during the late summer and are common in gardens and fields, often coming indoors.

How to identify: As a group, Craneflies are unmistakeable, although telling the different species apart can be very difficult and needs a microscope.

Where: Widespread

Natural Superpowers

• Predator: 10
• Agility: 30
• Rarity: 10
• Cute factor: 20
• Traveller: 50

Fantastic fact: If you look closely, the male has a square-ended body, the female has a long sharp-ended body, used for laying the eggs underground.

Photograph credit: Maximilian Paradiz