Tanyderidae

Tanyderidae, sometimes called primitive crane flies, are long, delicate flies with spotted or mottled wings, superficially resembling true crane flies (Tipulidae). Adults are typically found resting on vegetation near streams, while larvae occur in wet, decaying wood or along sandy and gravelly stream margins. Several fossil species are also known.

== Description and distribution == Members of the family Tanyderidae resemble medium- to large-sized crane flies but retain a number of primitive features, including the full complement of five branches of the radial wing vein—structures that have been lost in most modern flies. These characteristics, combined with their limited diversity of about forty known species, suggest that the group represents a relict lineage within the Nematocera.