Classification

                                             

 Domain Eukarya are classified as organisms that contain membrane bound organelles such as nuclei.  
 
 Kingdom Animalia are organisms classified by being Eukaryotes and are heterotrophic.

 Phylum Arthropoda comes from the Greek roots arthron - “joint” and  pods- “of foot,leg”, which refers to their jointed legs (Bugguide 2012). All Arthropods are described as having bilateral symmetry with segmented parts. On each segment are paired appendages. Each body is then divided into a head, thorax, and an abdomen. Arthropods are equipped with a complete nervous system, muscular system, and digestive system, and highly developed sense organs that include compound eyes. Among all Arthropods respiration varies, but all accomplish this by  gills, their body surface, book lungs, or a tracheae. They have an open circulatory system that is accompanied with a dorsal heart, hemocoel, and arteries. Lastly, all Arthropods have an exoskeleton which is shed in a process known as ecdysis in order to grow larger.

Class Insecta can be translated into Latin to  mean “cut into, cut up”, which refers to the body  segmentation (Bugguide 2012). Insects are classified as having three body segments, the head, thorax, and the abdomen. In addition, they have three pairs of legs that are attached to the second thoracic segment. Lastly, Insects are classified by having one pair of antennae.

Order- Diptera translated into Greek  is di- “two” and  pteron- “winged” because they have lost their second pair of wings that turned into halters that  are club-like appendages  used as modified wings (Bugguide 2012).

Family -Tipulaidae are called crane flies because of their long legs and slow flight (Swan and Papp 1972). They are also the largest family of Diptera.  

Genus -Tipula are classified with many specific physical features. The organisms in this Genus will have wings with two anal veins reaching the wing margin, ocelli are absent, and there is a V-shaped sutues on the thoracic dorsum along with wings with both anal veins being long. The terminal segments of maxillary palpus are elongated; antennae usually with 13 segments and body size are large. Legs are shorter and of normal stoutness; tarsi not as long as femur and tibia together. Antennal flagelomeres are simple to slightly produced. Flagelomeres with enlarged bases and moderate length setae; abdomen usually not greatly elongated. Last the wings have an Rs vein that is long, CuA1will join with M vein beyond fork (Young 2008). These define Tipula.

Species- Tipula submaculata is within the Family  Tipulidae  and are often referred to as  “large” crane flies.

Common Name- This name crane fly comes from their prominent dangling legs that are similar to cranes, long legged-birds (Arkive 2012). The Species Tipula refers to a “water spider” in Latin. In  Europe, however, they are often called daddy long legs in resemblance to the long-legged wading birds of the Family Gruidae (Red Planet Inc. 2012).

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