Crane flies occur in a wide variety of aquatic and terrestrial habitats. The 299 species known to occur within Pennsylvania have been classed in three broad
categories, aquatic, semi-aquatic and terrestrial, based on their known or supposed larval habitats. Unfortunately, only a small percentage of species have been reared, but designations of habitat classes have been based on species of known larval habitat for each genus or
subgenus. Where there is habitat diversity within a genus or subgenus, then assignments of larval habitat class were only made where the species was reared. For example, the group Limonia (Dicranomyia) has species inhabiting aquatic and terrestrial habitats, so no
clear assignment of habitat classing can be done for species not yet reared. In certain genera, no included species have been reared and consequently these are listed as unknown larval habitat.
Eriopter chlorophylla Photo taken by Steve Marshall
Limonia rostrata Photo taken by Steve Marshall
AQUATIC SPECIES
More than a third of the species known for Pennsylvania, 107 species (36% of total), are classed as fully aquatic in the larval stage. Habitats include
streams, rivers, springs, seeps, and marshes and larvae can occur in leaf packs, on rocks, in bottom substrates, algal mats and aquatic mosses, saturated sediments, and other areas. There is some overlap between the aquatic and semi-aquatic habitat classes but the following
species are most likely to be found by aquatic macroinvertebrate sampling methods.
Antocha (Antocha) obtusa Alexander Antocha (Antocha) opalizans Osten Sacken Antocha (Antocha) saxicola Osten Sacken Cryptolabis (Cryptolabis) paradoxa Osten Sacken Dicranota (Eudicranota) pallida Alexander Dicranota (Paradicranota) eucera Osten Sacken Dicranota (Rhaphidolabina) flaveola (Osten Sacken) Dicranota (Rhaphidolabis) cayuga (Alexander) Dicranota (Rhaphidolabis) persimilis (Alexander) Dicranota (Rhaphidolabis) tenuipes (Osten Sacken) Erioptera (Erioptera) chlorophylla Osten Sacken Erioptera (Erioptera) straminea Osten Sacken Helius (Helius) flavipes (Macquart) Hexatoma (Eriocera) austera (Doane) Hexatoma (Eriocera) brachycera (Osten Sacken) Hexatoma (Eriocera) brevioricornis Alexander Hexatoma (Eriocera) cinerea (Alexander) Hexatoma (Eriocera) fuliginosa (Osten Sacken) Hexatoma (Eriocera) longicornis (Walker) Hexatoma (Eriocera) spinosa (Osten Sacken) Leptotarsus (Longurio) testaceus Loew Limnophila (Dicranophragma) angustula Alexander Limnophila (Dicranophragma) fuscovaria Osten Sacken Limnophila (Eloeophila) aprilina Osten Sacken Limnophila (Eloeophila) johnsoni Alexander Limnophila (Eloeophila) solstitialis Alexander Limnophila (Eutonia) alleni Johnson Limnophila (Lasiomastix) macrocera (Say) Limnophila (Lasiomastix) subtenuicornis (Alexander) Limnophila (Lasiomastix) tenuicornis Osten Sacken Limnophila (Limnophila) albipes Leonard Limnophila (Phylidorea) adusta Osten Sacken Limnophila (Phylidorea) adustoides Alexander Limnophila (Phylidorea) auripennis Alexander Limnophila (Phylidorea) caudifera Alexander Limnophila (Phylidorea) consimilis Dietz Limnophila (Phylidorea) fratria Osten Sacken Limnophila (Phylidorea) lutea Doane Limnophila (Phylidorea) luteola Alexander Limnophila (Phylidorea) novaeangliae Alexander Limnophila (Phylidorea) platyphallus Alexander Limnophila (Phylidorea) similis Alexander Limnophila (Phylidorea) subcostata (Alexander) Limnophila (Prionolabis) munda Osten Sacken Limnophila (Prionolabis) mundoides Alexander Limnophila (Prionolabis) rufibasis Osten Sacken Limnophila (Prionolabis) walleyi Alexander Limonia (Dicranomyia) fusca Meigen Limonia (Dicranomyia) humidicola (Osten Sacken) Limonia (Dicranomyia) longipennis (Schummel) Limonia (Dicranomyia) stulta (Osten Sacken) Limonia (Geranomyia) canadensis (Westwood) Limonia (Geranomyia) communis (Osten Sacken) Limonia (Geranomyia) distincta (Doane) Limonia (Geranomyia) diversa (Osten Sacken) Limonia (Geranomyia) rostrata (Say) Liogma nodicornis (Osten Sacken) Limonia defuncta (Osten Sacken) Limonia simulans (Walker) Pedicia (Pedicia) albivitta Walker Pedicia (Pedicia) margarita Alexander Pedicia (Pedicia) procteriana Alexander Pedicia (Pentacyphona) autumnalis (Alexander) Pedicia (Tricyphona) auripennis (Osten Sacken) Pedicia (Tricyphona) calcar (Osten Sacken) Pedicia (Tricyphona) constans (Doane) Pedicia (Tricyphona) inconstans (Osten Sacken) Pedicia (Tricyphona) katahdin (Alexander) Pedicia (Tricyphona) paludicola (Alexander) Pedicia (Tricyphona) vernalis (Osten Sacken) Pilaria imbecilla (Osten Sacken) Pilaria quadrata (Osten Sacken) Pilaria recondita (Osten Sacken) Pilaria stanwoodae (Alexander) Pilaria tenuipes (Say) Pilaria vermontana Alexander Prolimnophila areolata (Osten Sacken) Pseudolimnophila (Pseudolimnophila) contempta (Osten Sacken) Pseudolimnophila (Pseudolimnophila) inornata (Osten Sacken) Pseudolimnophila (Pseudolimnophila) luteipennis (Osten Sacken) Pseudolimnophila (Pseudolimnophila) noveboracensis (Alexander) Tipula (Angarotipula) illustris Doane Tipula (Arctotipula) williamsiana Alexander Tipula (Nippotipula) abdominalis (Say) Tipula (Nippotipula) metacomet Alexander Tipula (Nobilotipula) collaris Say Tipula (Nobilotipula) nobilis (Loew) Tipula (Platytipula) hugginsi Gelhaus Tipula (Platytipula) spenceriana Alexander Tipula (Platytipula) ultima Alexander Tipula (Yamatotipula) aprilina Alexander Tipula (Yamatotipula) caloptera Loew Tipula (Yamatotipula) calopteroides Alexander Tipula (Yamatotipula) cayuga Alexander Tipula (Yamatotipula) concava Alexander Tipula (Yamatotipula) dejecta Walker Tipula (Yamatotipula) eluta Loew Tipula (Yamatotipula) fraterna Loew Tipula (Yamatotipula) furca Walker Tipula (Yamatotipula) iroquois Alexander Tipula (Yamatotipula) jacobus Alexander Tipula (Yamatotipula) noveboracensis Alexander Tipula (Yamatotipula) strepens Loew Tipula (Yamatotipula) tephrocephala Loew Tipula (Yamatotipula) tricolor Fabricius Ulomorpha pilosella (Osten Sacken) Ulomorpha rogersella Alexander
Pedicia sp. Photo taken by Steve Marshall
Tipula ultima Photo taken by Steve Marshall
HABITAT CLASSIFICATION FOR AQUATIC CRANE FLIES OF PENNSYLVANIA
In the following table, we have attempted a preliminary classification of the aquatic species of Pennsylvania into their specific larval habitats.
Classification of the larval habitats was based on the authors’ field work along with published information in Alexander (1920), Rogers (1930, 1933, 1942), Gelhaus (1986), Young (1978) and others. Species we have classed as aquatic based on generic placement, but with no actual
information available on specific larval habitat, are omitted from this table although they may be found on the aquatic species list. Species marked with a ? in the table are based on supposition of larval habitat. There is overlap between species we have classed as aquatic and
semi-aquatic; additional fieldwork and rearing will help to refine these classifications.
The habitat categories are defined very broadly in this preliminary classification. Lotic refers to larval habitats in the main sections of
current of streams or rivers, either on or in the bottom substrate. Hygropetric refers to vertical substrates where water flows or seeps, either on falls in streams, seepages on slopes over rocks or other situations. Stream edge refers to habitats
immediately along streams or rivers which are distinctly wet. Marshes are classed as open (including lake or pond margins) or shaded (usually seepage areas in forest). Temporary aquatic habitat refers to streams, ponds, or
marshes that predictably flow or fill in fall and winter, drying in summer.
Tipula (Yamatotipula) sp. Photo
by Giff Beaton
Limonia (Geranomyia) sp. emerging from pupa
by Steve Marshall
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Tipula abdominalis male
