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  Tipulidae: Limoniinae

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Tipulidae: Limoniinae

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| Antocha | Atarba | Austrolimnophila |Chionea |Chionea scita |Chionea valga | Cladura | Dactylolabis | Dicranoptycha | Dicranoptycha elsa | Dicranoptycha germana | Dicranoptycha nigripes | Elephantomyia | Epiphragma (Epiphragma) fasciapenne  | Epiphragma (Epiphragma) solatrix | Erioptera (Erioptera) | Erioptera (Erioptera) septemtrionis | Erioptera (Hoplolabis) | Erioptera (Ilisia) | Erioptera (Mesocyphona) | Erioptera (Symplecta)  | Eugnophomyia luctuosa | Gnophomyia tristissima | Gonomyia | Helius | Hexatoma (Eriocera) | Limnophila (Eutonia) | Limnophila (Dicranophragma) angustula | Limnophila (Lasiomastix) | Limnophila (Prionolabis) | Limonia (Dicranomyia) | Limonia (Discobola) annulata | Limonia (Geranomyia) |Limonia (Geranomyia) rostrata | Limonia (Limonia) | Limonia (Rhipidia) |Limonia (Rhipidia) domestica | Limonia (Rhipidia) bryanti | Limonia (Rhipidia) duplicata |Limonia (Metalimnobia) |  Molophilus | Neocladura | Ormosia | Pedicia | Pedicia (Pedicia) | Pedicia (Pedicia) albivitta | Pedicia (Trycyphona) | Pedicia (Tricyphona) auripennis | Pedicia (Tricyphona) autumnalis |Pedicia (Trycyphona) inconstans |Pilaria | Prolimnophila | Pseudolimnophila | Shannonomyia | Teucholabis | Toxorhina | Ula | Ulomorpha |
 

Antocha (Antocha) saxicola Osten Sacken  [^Top]


This small (4-6 mm) yellowish-gray crane fly is a common species along streams and rivers.  Adults can be found in riparian vegetation or crawling over exposed stones in or along the stream, and
also attracted to lights.  Adult flies can be easily recognized by their prominent, almost square shaped anal angle of wings (see image below) Larvae inhabit silken tubes on the upper surfaces of submerged large rocks in moderate to fast flowing situations, feeding on detritus and algae.  Antocha larvae are one of the few crane fly larvae which lack spiracles entirely, relying solely on oxygen derived from the water column.  The coloration varies notably and the genitalia of the male provide the best characters for specific determination.  This genus is most numerously developed in Eastern Asia, in North America it has been recorded from Maine west to Wisconsin, south to Missouri and Georgia along the Appalachians.  The other common species in our area is Antocha opalizans.

 
Antocha species showing anal angle Photo by Stephen Luk  

 
Antocha saxicola Antocha sp. by Stephen Luk Antocha opalizans
Mass emergence of Antocha species by Rusty Fowler

Atarba (Atarba) picticornis Osten Sacken   [^Top]

There is only one species of this genus found in our area.  The adults are small (6-7 mm) sized crane flies with polished yellow color.  Abdominal segments are yellow and each segment with a blackened subterminal ring.  Their antennae are elongated and bicolored in males.  The adults are not uncommon in shaded open woods and also common in grassy areas or on lower vegetations.  The larval stages occur in saturated, decaying wood.
 
 Atarba picticornis  Atarba picticornis

 


Austrolimnophila (Austrolimnophila) toxoneura (Osten Sacken)  [^Top]

Adult flies of this species are about 6-9 mm in size.  They are brownish-yellow in color and with a distinct brown line in the thoracic pleura.  Their wings are brownish-yellow and unmarked except for the slightly darker stigma.  The adult flies rest with the wing outspread.  The larval stages are found in decaying wood.  One generation occurs from May through early July in our area.

Austrolimnophila toxoneura

Austrolimnophila toxoneura by Steve Scott Austrolimnophila toxoneura

 


Genus Chionea

Species of the genus Chionea are the only nearly wingless crane flies in North America.  This genus is widely distributed throughout the northern hemisphere where the habitats are snow covered during the winter months.  Sixteen North American species of Chionea have been described base on the comprehensive study conducted by Dr. George W. Byers (1983: The crane fly Genus Chionea in North America.  The University of Kansas Science Bulletin 52(6) 59-195).

In their natural habitat, species of Chionea may be found together with other winter wingless insects such as snow scorpionflies Boreus specis (Mecoptera: Boreidae), and stoneflies (Plecoptera: Capniinae), but can be easily distinguished from these two groups by their distinct halteres and shorter antennae (see below images for all three groups for comparison).

Wingless snow scorpionfly Boreus species male by Tom Murray Wingless snow scorpionfly Boreus species female by Tom Murray
Wingless stonefly Allocapnia species by Robin McLeod
Wingless snow crane fly Chionea species male from Romania by Cosmin Manci Wingless snow crane fly Chionea species female from Romania by Cosmin Manci

See Byers 1983 paper for further detailed information on morphology, natural history, distributions, identification keys, literatures of this genus in North America.

Chionea scita Walker  [^Top]

The adult “snow crane flies” occur in the winter months.  They are wingless in both sexes and can be seen most frequently after a fresh fall of snow crawling sluggishly on the surface at temperatures as low as –10 degree C. The small (5-8 mm), spider-like adults are yellowish-brown in color, and their antennae have 12 segments.  The natural history of this species is still largely a mystery, and some observers have suggested an association with nests of small mammals such as mice and chipmunks.  Detailed studies on this genus can be found in Dr. George W. Byers’ paper of 1983.

Chionea scita Chionea scita by Anonymous Chionea scita

Chionea valga Harris      [^Top]

This species has a northern and eastern distribution.  Their bodies (3-6 mm in males and 4-8 mm in females) are of dull reddish brown in color and their antennae have 6-7 segments.  The size variation in this species is noticeable.  Some species of Chionea valga may be twice as long as others of the same sex taken on the same day in the same habitats; but dimensions of the genital segments vary much less than those of body and legs (Byers, 1983).

Chionea valga is the most widely distributed species in the genus, ranging from coastal Labrador westward to central Alberta and to Minnesota and southwestward along the Appalachian Mountains to southern Virginia. 

Byers also mentioned in his 1983 paper that this species has a broad range of habitat.  Roughly from north to south these are: arctic tundra in coastal Labrador; subarctic spruce forest and more southern subarctic spruce-fir forest extending across much of southern Canada; white pine, jack pine and other evergreens in the northern Great Lakes region; and mixed hardwood forest of beech, maple, hemlock, birch, from the upper Mississippi River eastward across Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania and much of New England and extending southward along the crest of the Appalachian Mountains.  Elsewhere the species penetrates to a limit extent the oak-hickory forest and the Appalachian hardwood forest.  The range in general has fairly deep and persistent snow cover form November through March.
Chionea valga female by Tom Murray Chionea valga male by Tim Eisele Chionea valga female by Tom Murray


Cladura flavoferruginea Osten Sacken  [^Top]

The adult of this species is 8-12 mm in size and occur mainly in woodlands during late summer and fall.  The adults are orange-yellow in color and have brown crossbands on the abdomen.  The wings are transparent with brown dots along the cross veins.  The adults are often found walking on leaves, with the body elevated and parallel to the upper leaf surface and the wings folded flat over the back.  They are common in woods in late fall when few other insects are similarly active.  As a result, they may be important food for fall migratory songbirds.  Their larvae inhabit relatively dry soil in woodlands.

Cladura flavoferruginea by Tom Murray  Cladura flavoferruginea by Tom Murray
 
  Cladura flavoferruginea (female) Cladura flavoferruginea
(male)
 

Dactylolabis (Dactylolabis) montana (Osten Sacken)   [^Top]

This species is one of the most common and widely distributed of the local species of the genus.  It varies very greatly in size but only a single species seems to be involved.  They are about 6-10 mm in size and are frequently found on the vertical faces of shaded cliffs and rock exposures in ravines and gorges.  Their wings have heavy spotted brownish gray cloud pattern along costal margin and fork of outer cells.  The larvae live on algal growth.  The related species Dactylolabis cubitalis are dark brown in color and have unmarked, strong brownish-yellow wings.

Dactylolabis montana
Dactylolabis montana

by Tony DiTerlizzi

Dactylolabis montana

 

 
Dactylolabis cubitalis   Dactylolabis cubitalis

Genus Dicranoptycha Osten Sacken

 The genus Dicranoptycha includes 85 species worldwide (Oosterbroek 2005) with 23 recognized species in North America (Oosterbroek 2005; Young 1987).  There are nine potential and documented species in this genus for Pennsylvania (see PA checklists) and five species were collected during the survey.  Dicranoptycha is a genus of medium-sized crane flies of about 7-13 mm in size. One main character that separates it from other crane flies is their wings with R2 vein lying far distad, beyond level of outer end of cell 1st M2 (image below).  In Pennsylvania adults of this genus usually emerge in spring, but a few species emerge in summer or fall.  All species appear to have one generation a year.  Adults usually stand upright, with body elevated parallel to the upper surfaces of leaves and the wings folded flat over the back.  Adults are usually found standing on low vegetation in humid to relatively dry open woodlands.  The larvae have been reared from forest soil directly under leaf litter.  Key for the North American species is in the review of Young (1987).

Dicranoptycha elsa wing by Gayle and Jeanell Strickland

Dicranoptycha elsa Alexander   [^Top]

Dicranoptycha elsa is basic grayish brown in color, it can be easily recognized by lack of the dark brown seam along the Cu vein.  This species has been collected from New York westward to eastern Kansas, and southward along the Appalachian Mountains to northeastern Georgia.  The recent collection indicates its range in Mississippi (Amite County, 12 April 2007 Gayle and Jeanell Strickland).

Dicranoptycha elsa male head by Gayle and Jeanell Strickland Dicranoptycha elsa male by Gayle and Jeanell Strickland Dicranoptycha elsa male
Dicranoptycha elsa male hypopygium  dorsal view by Chen Young  Dicranoptycha elsa male genitalia ventral view by Gayle and Jeanell Strickland Dicranoptycha elsa male genitalia with external skeleton removed ventral view by Chen Young 
Dicranoptycha elsa female ovipositor lateral view by Gayle and Jeanell Strickland Dicranoptycha elsa female by Gayle and Jeanell Strickland Dicranoptycha elsa female

Dicranoptycha germana Osten Sacken   [^Top]

Dicranoptycha germana have strong reddish-brown wings and are common in dry oak-maple mixed woodlands.  This species shows striking variation in body color, from dark reddish brown to light brownish-yellow.  The adult flies have a more hairy appearance than any other species of Dicranoptycha.  They have been recorded from Quebec westward to northern Minnesota and southward to South Carolina.  This is so far as known the only species of this genus inhabits the Canadian life-zone.  The adults have a long flight period from mid-June through October, with the peak in July.

Dicranoptycha germana Dicranoptycha germana

Dicranoptycha nigripes  Osten Sacken            [^Top]

Dicranoptycha nigripes is basic reddish yellow in color.  They can be easily recognized by their abdominal coloration, which has transverse blackened bands near mid-length from sterna of segments three to seven.  The male has branching aedegal processes.  This species has a southern distribution with records from Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and recently Louisiana (Barney Farm, Highway 103, 1mile NW of Washington, St. Landry Parish, 15 June 2007 Gayle and Jeanell Strickland).  D. nigripes has not yet been collected in Pennsylvania but is a potential species likely to be found among the southwestern mountain ranges.

   
Dicranoptycha nigripes male by Gayle and Jeanell Strickland Dicranoptycha nigripes male wing by Gayle and Jeanell Strickland
 
Dicranoptycha nigripes male genitalia dorsal view by Gayle and Jeanell Strickland Dicranoptycha nigripes male genitalia ventral posterior view by Gayle and Jeanell Strickland Dicranoptycha nigripes male genitalia ventral view by Gayle and Jeanell Strickland

Dicranoptycha nigripes male hypopygium dorsal view by Chen Young Dicranoptycha nigripes male by Gayle and Jeanell Strickland Dicranoptycha nigripes male genitalia with external skeleton removed lateral view by Chen Young

Other related species of Dicranoptycha:   [^Top]

Dicranoptycha pallida Dicranoptycha megaphallus Dicranoptycha winnemana
 Dicranoptycha byersi Dicranoptycha septemtrionis Dicranoptycha sobrina

Elephantomyia (Elephantomyia) westwoodi Osten Sacken   [^Top]

The adults of this genus are distinct crane flies with an exceedingly elongated rostrum that is nearly as long as the entire body.  There is only one species of this genus in our area.  The adult flies are about 8-11 mm in body length, and about 16-19 mm including the rostrum.  Adults have yellow abdomen and each segment with distinct dark subterminal ring.  Their wings are brownish-yellow with conspicuous stigma.  Adult flies are found in open woodlands usually hanging from leaves on low branches of trees.  The larval stages are found in decaying wood.

Elephantomyia westwoodi  male Elephantomyia westwoodi  Photo by Mike Lanzone Elephantomyia westwoodi  female
Elephantomyia westwoodi  Photo by Lewis Scharpf Elephantomyia westwoodi  Photo by Tom Murray

Epiphragma (Epiphragma) fasciapenne (Say)   [^Top]

This is one of the local striking and beautiful species of medium-sized (9-12 mm) crane flies.  It is common in the latter half of May and early June, and generally found in moist woodlands.  Adults usually found on forest litter or low shrubs, less than two feet above ground.  Adult males also form small dancing swarms at dusk in shaded places.  Larvae of this genus are usually found in decaying wood. 

 
Epiphragma fasciapenne  
by Tony DiTerlizzi  
Epiphragma fasciapenne
(female)
 
Epiphragma fasciappenne  
by Bruce Marlin  
Epiphragma fasciapenne
(male)
Epiphragma fasciappenne  
by Thomas of Baltimore  
Epiphragma fasciappenne Photo by Mike Lanzone

Epiphragma (Epiphragma) solatrix (Osten Sacken)   [^Top]

This is the only other species of Epiphragma found in the same habitats as the previous species.  The two species can be distinguished by their wing patterns.  Epiphragma fasciapenne has wings with pale brown cross bands that are narrowly margined with darker brown, and with a brown ring at the tip of each femur.  Epiphragma solatrix has wings with an irregular pattern of brown and tawny color, and with a brown ring before tip of each femur.  It has two generations per year and individual flies of the summer/fall generation have a smaller body size than those of the spring generation.

Epiphragma solatrix
(female)

Epiphragma solatrix  wing by Gayle and Jeanell Strickland

Epiphragma solatrix
(male)  

 

Epiphragma solatrix Photo by Stephen Cresswell

 

Epiphragma solatrix Photo by Steve Scott

Epiphragma solatrix male genitalia dorsal view by Gayle and Jeanell Strickland Epiphragma solatrix male genitalia lateral view by Gayle and Jeanell Strickland
Epiphragma solatrix male photo by Steve Scott


Erioptera (Erioptera) chlorophylla Osten Sacken   [^Top]

Adults of this species are small-sized 4-5 mm pale green crane flies with large black eyes.  They are often found on low vegetation near water edges.  The larval stages live in moist earth.  About 8 species of this pale green crane flies belong to this group in our area.  They can be separated only based on the variations of their genitalia.

Erioptera chlorophylla

Erioptera chlorophylla by Steve Marshall

Erioptera chlorophylla
Erioptera furcifer Erioptera species by Sasha Jade Erioptera furcifer

Erioptera (Erioptera) septemtrionis Osten Sacken   [^Top]

These are small-sized (4-5 mm) brown crane flies.  Adults are brownish yellow in color with dark brown halteres.  The pleura of thorax has a dark brown longitudinal stripe.  This species has a long flight period probably with two generations starting in April and lasting through the month of September.

Erioptera septemtrionia Erioptera septemtrionia mating pair by Steve Nanz Erioptera septemtrionia

Other related species of Erioptera (Erioptera):   [^Top]

 Erioptera megophthalma Erioptera straminea Erioptera venosa

Erioptera (Hoplolabis) armata Osten Sacken   [^Top]

Adults of this species are small (5-6 mm) gray crane flies.  The abdominal segments are dark brown, each segment ringed posterior with pale color. Their wings have a heavy dark brown pattern, arranged along costal areas, with smaller spots at the ends of longitudinal veins and on cross veins.  Adults are found along all watercourses, either from shaded banks or from the base and roots of large trees by streams. This species also forms swarms.

Erioptera armata


Erioptera (Ilisia) venusta Osten Sacken   [^Top]

These are small (5-6 mm) sized brown crane flies.  Their wings have two distinct broad brown cross bands.  The small band does not reach the margin of the costal vein, while the larger one reaches the border.  The related species Erioptera graphica have their wings with the dark pattern broken into small spots and narrow brown seams along cords.

 Erioptera venusta Erioptera venusta by Stephen Cresswell  Erioptera venusta

Erioptera venusta by Stephen Cresswell

Erioptera graphica

Erioptera (Mesocyphona) caliptera Say   [^Top]

This is one of the small crane flies (3-4 mm in length).  Body is brownish yellow with two conspicuously brown stripes on the pleura.  Three species occur in the northeast.  Erioptera parva is the smallest species with male of 2.5 mm in size, and their wings have no white spots but with small darker spots on the veins and at margins of veins.  Erioptera needhami generally is similar to Erioptera caliptera in appearance, except they have fewer white spots on their wings and their femora with a single brown subterminal ring instead of two as in E. caliptera.  They are abundant where soil is wet or muddy during most of the year, in bottomland forests, swamp woods, and grassy margins of streams. The larval stages of these species are spent in damp earth.

Erioptera caloptera Erioptera caloptera by Tom Murray Erioptera caloptera
   
  Erioptera caloptera by Lynette Schimming  

Erioptera (Mesocyphona) needhami Alexander        [^Top]

Erioptera needhami generally is similar to Erioptera caliptera in appearance, except they are slightly smaller and have fewer white spots on their wings and their femora with only a single brown subterminal ring instead of two as in E. caliptera.  They are abundant where soil is wet or muddy during most of the year, in bottomland forests, swamp woods, and grassy margins of streams. The larval stages of these species are spent in damp earth.  This species has been reported from Missouri to Nova Scotia and southward to Florida. 

 
Erioptera needhami   Erioptera needhami

Erioptera (Mesocyphona) parva  Osten Sacken    [^Top]

This species has the smallest body size about 2.5 mm in its group.  The main difference among the three species in this group is Erioptera parva has small darker spots on the cord and veins on their wings.  Their legs are yellow and the femora have a narrow brown subterminal ring.  Previously reported from Kansas to Michigan, Connecticut, south ward to Florida and was recently recorded from Texas (21 April 2007, Graham Montgomery).

Erioptera parva Photo by Graham Montgomery Erioptera parva

Erioptera (Symplecta) cana (Walker)   [^Top]

Adults of this small (6-7 mm) gray crane fly are the first species to appear in the spring, when most vegetation has not yet started growing.  They are common and abundant in the spring in nearly all wooded habitats and open grasslands.  The fall generation is less conspicuous.  The larval stages are found in saturated earth along water edges.  There is only one species in this genus found in North America.  This species is wide spread throughout North America, as far south as the mountains of Central America.

Erioptera cana Erioptera cana by Bruce Marlin Erioptera cana

Steve Taylor (Illinois Natural History Survey) took the following two photos in the city of Urbana at Champaign County, Illinois.  These images illustrate the Postcopulatory Mate Guarding Behavior that is common among crane flies in the subfamily Limoniinae. This behavior is observed general among species whose females oviposit in wet mud or near flowing and percolating water where coupling pairs are often observed in numbers. After mating, the female starts oviposition while the male stays astride more or less parallel with the female. In this manner, the male keeps frequent, close contact with the female, and will push or drive away any rival.   By defending his mate from intruding rivals, the guarding male may have the last-male advantage and also prolong the female ovipositing period.  This mate guarding behavior has also been observed in Limonia communis, and described in Limonia simulans, Antocha saxicola and Dactylolabis montana (Adler and Adler 1991).

Erioptera cana by Steve Taylor showing Mate Guarding

Erioptera cana by Steve Taylor showing Mate Guarding

Eugnophomyia luctuosa Osten Sacken   [^Top]

This species has not been collected in PA and is listed here due to its extremely resemblance to the following species.  They are about 6-8 mm in size and black in color.  The characters used to separate these two species apart are the halteres of this species is black throughout, and the apical cells of their wings have hairs (see the attached wing image).  These two species used to classified under the same genus Gnophomyia, they are now in separate genera.  This species has a more southern distribution know from Indiana, Illinois to Florida and Mississippi.

Eugnophomyia luctuosa wing showing hairs on apical cells by Gayle and Jeanell Strickland Eugnophomyia luctuosa Male by Gayle and Jeanell Strickland Eugnophomyia luctuosa male genitalia dorsal view by Gayle and Jeanell Strickland

Eugnophomyia luctuosa  mating pair photo by Sasha Azevedo 


Gnophomyia tristissima Osten Sacken  [^Top]

The adults of this species are black with strongly darkened wings.  They are about 6-8 mm in size and have distinct yellow color knobs of halteres.  They occur in bottomland woods and wet thickets on herbage among fallen, decaying trees.  The larvae are found beneath the bark of decaying deciduous trees.

Gnophomyia tristissima