September Cranefly
TQ4792 02/10/2023 ©Raymond Small
Tipula paludosa
Larvae of this species are known as leatherjackets. They live in the upper layers of soil where they can sometimes be a destructive pest when they feed on the bases of plant stems and roots. Adults emerge from June until September with peak numbers appearing around the beginning of September. Mating takes place shortly after emergence. The females lay eggs amongst grass and other vegetation. The eggs take about two weeks to hatch. During autumn starlings are sometimes seen on fields in large numbers when they are hunting for leatherjackets to eat.
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