This is a medium sized crane fly, males have a body length of 15-18 mm and females are 20-25 mm long excluding legs. Wings are smoky brown with light and dark spots. Antennae are black. Legs are brown. Thorax is gray on the side and brown on top with stripes that are dark gray, narrowly margined with brown. Abdomen is orange with dorsal black stripe. Females have an elongated abdomen that extends beyond the wings when at rest.
This species has a wide distribution range previously known from British Columbia to Nova Scotia, southward to California and New Jersey. This crane fly is probably common in this area. One individual was photographed in Handsome Hollow in Fontenelle Forest in mid-April. Look for this species sitting on vegtation in cool, shady places such as the hollows.
Tipula is a very large genus with about 480 species and 27 sub-genera in North America. T. dorsimacula belongs to the subgenus Lunatipula of which there are 160 species in N.A. Larvae are found in terrestrial habitats, usually under a thick layer of litter and moist leaf mold in woodland soil.
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