Tipula is a very large insect genus in the fly family Tipulidae. They are commonly known as crane flies or daddy longlegs. Worldwide there are well over a thousand species. All species have very long, fragile legs. The male has a swollen tip to his abdomen, and the female has a pointed ovipositor which is used to push eggs into soil. The larvae of some species are root-feeding and may be called "leatherjackets".