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Date: September 15, 2009
Category: Insects
Subject: Invasive Crane Flies Found in Massachusetts

There are two invasive species of crane flies that have become established in parts of the United States and Canada. The European crane fly (Tipula paludosa) is well established in the Pacific Northwest, and more recently became established around Toronto, Ontario, and in western New York. More recently another species, T. oleracea, was found in the Pacific Northwest, western New York, and Long Island.

Two weeks ago, a lawn care company operator on Martha’s Vineyard sent us larvae that appeared to be crane fly larvae. He captured an adult last week (5 September), which was confirmed to be T. oleracea by Dr. Dan Peck, a turf entomologist at Cornell University and Dr. Matt Peterson, a post doc conducting research with Dr. Peck. Now that crane flies have been confirmed in Massachusetts, it behooves all turf managers in the state to look for adult activity during the next couple weeks when the fall emergence is taking place. While this first discovery was on Martha’s Vineyard, the species may already be established in other parts of the state as well.

Crane fly adults look like giant mosquitoes, and are 1.0 to 1.25 inches long. There are about 15,000 species of crane flies in the world, many of them native to North America and not linked to any type of turf damage. We need to determine how widespread the invasive crane flies are at this point because they are undergoing range expansion in the Northeast and are linked to severe turf damage. So if you find adult crane flies, please collect as many as you can and send them to:

The simplest way to prepare specimens is to kill the adults in a freezer overnight, then gently place them in an envelope where they will lie flat. The envelope should be repackaged with cardboard on either side to prevent crushing so the adults will arrive in Geneva intact enough to be identified. The ideal way to prepare specimens would to place them into a leak-proof container with rubbing alcohol, drain off most of the alcohol before sending, and then mail. Either way, remember to include relevant information such as the collector, site of collection, date of collection, and contact information.

The following information is compiled from a very thorough fact sheet Dr. Peck developed, which can be downloaded from the NYS IPM website at:

http://www.nysipm.cornell.edu/factsheets/turfgrass/default.asp

Life cycle
The European crane fly has only one generation per year, but T. oleracea has two generations per year. T. oleracea is known by several different common names, including the “common crane fly”, the “marsh crane fly”, and even the “cabbage crane fly”. Adults of T. oleracea are usually active in late August or early September in the Northeast. Females lay eggs shortly after emerging, usually producing 40 or 50 eggs in each of three or four “batches”. Eggs hatch into maggots, which feed on roots and root hairs, as well as on leaves and crowns. They complete four larval stages during their lifetime, spending the winter in the third instar. They can be active on or near the surface during the winter months, during extended mild periods. (Winter damage sometimes resembles cutworm activity and has been observed in Rochester NY in January.) Full sized larvae are 1.0 to 1.25 inch long. Most damage occurs in late fall as larvae develop rapidly or in early spring as larvae complete development. Damage is also possible in late summer caused by larvae of the second generation. When mature, larvae pupate in the soil and just before the adults emerge, the pupae wriggle to the surface where the tip of the pupal case sticks out of the ground. In western NY, the spring emergence of adults takes place over a 1-2 week period in early May. They lay eggs for a second generation, which feeds during the summer months. The larvae complete their development in mid to late August, pupate for a week or two, and adults emerge in late August to mid September.

Monitoring
Invasive crane flies are sometimes called “leatherjackets”. Both the larvae and the pupae have a leathery appearance. You can look for crane flies several ways. Take soil samples in areas where skunk damage has occurred. Full-grown maggots are about an inch long and will usually be in the top two inches of the soil. They are almost cylindrical but taper slightly at both ends with tubular projections on the tip. Larvae are light gray to greenish brown and often have irregular black specks on the body. Pupae are also nearly cylindrical and can be seen projecting out of the turf profile just before they emerge as adults. Watch for adults flying just above the surface or on the sides of buildings. Some fly slowly enough to be caught by hand.

Management strategies
Both T. paludosa and T. oleracea often have high mortality rates as larvae, primarily because birds and foraging mammals feed on them very actively. In addition both species need relatively high levels of moisture in the soil at the time of egg laying and egg hatch. So if a turf manager can minimize irrigation during the time adults are laying eggs, it should help reduce larval survival.

There are several insecticides that have been tested at Cornell University and in the Pacific Northwest that can reduce populations when applied in late September or early October. Some of the products that have provided at least 70% control in at least one field trial are: bifenthrin (Talstar™), chlorantraniliprole (Acelepryn™), chlothianidin (Arena™), imidacloprid (Merit™), indoxacarb (Provaunt™), Allectus™ (combination of Merit™ and Talstar™), and Aloft™ (combination of Arena™ and generic bifenthrin). Remember that some of these products are not labeled in New York. European crane fly may not be on the label of some of these products but in some states (including Massachusetts), as long as the site is labeled, it is legal to use a product, whether or not the pest is on the label. The company, however, has no obligation to respond if a pest is not on the label and is not controlled by an application of that product.

Submitted by: Dr. Pat Vittum

DISCLAIMER - As always, it is the responsibility of the applicator to verify the registration status of any pesticide BEFORE applying it. Different states have different regulations as well. Trade names of materials are provided for informational purposes only and do not substitute for a thorough and careful reading of the label and application according to label instructions. The author and the University of Massachusetts are not liable for any consequences of any pesticide recommendations. Mention of any trade name is not to be considered endorsement of a product.

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