Crane fly is a common name referring to any member of the insect
family Tipulidae, of the order
Diptera, true
flies in the superfamily
Tipuloidea.
Cylindrotominae,
Limoniinae, and Pediciinae have been ranked as subfamilies of Tipulidae by most authors, though occasionally elevated to family rank. In the most recent classifications, only
Pediciidae is now ranked as a separate family, due to considerations of
paraphyly. In colloquial speech the crane fly is sometimes known as
daddy longlegs, a term also used to describe
opiliones or the family
pholcidae, both of which are arachnids. The
larvae of crane flies are known commonly as leatherjackets.