DIPTERA > NEMATOCERA | Lower Diptera

TIPULOMORPHA > Tipuloidea > Limoniidae (226 species)

(subfamilies: Chioneinae, Dactylolabinae, Limnophilinae and Limoniinae)

My last comment on the previous page made reference to the fact that I struggle distinguishing some of the Tipula species but, what I really should have said, was that I struggle identifying craneflies per se, pretty much regardless of family or genera. I'm sure that most collected specimens can generally be keyed to a species relatively easily if you have the knowledge, but purely trying to identify them from photos is difficult if not impossible in many cases.

Despite the title, this page actually covers three families, starting here with the short-palped craneflies, which are typically smaller and more delicate than the long-palped Tipulidae species. I'd previously read that these species could usually be distinguished in the field simply by the way they rest, with their wings folded back over each other, rather than widely extended. However, as can be seen from various photos on both the previous pages and below, that's not always the case, so although I'm sure that it's a useful pointer, it's certainly not something that can be relied on.

Apart from the fact that most limoniid species are small to medium-sized (2-11mm) with slender legs and abdomen, and short rostrum, I think the most important distinguishing features are the thorax which has a V-shaped transverse suture, and specific details regarding the wing veins. I've looked at various keys and descriptions regarding the wing veins and each one has been different, so I'm not going to attempt writing something here that could be misleading.

Adults are mainly found in damp areas often near their larvae, which is usually in various aquatic and semi-aquatic habitats, although some are terrestrial living in mosses, fungi or decaying wood.

Achyrolimonia decemmaculata - a small woodland cranefly, with five dark marks on each wing.

Dicranomyia chorea - distinguished by the distinctive wing spot over the end of vein Rs, and the short black ring at the lower end of the femora; can be found in various wooded habitats, including gardens.  

Epiphragma ocellare - a medium-sized, robust, brown-bodied, woodland species with mottled wings

Limonia phragmitidis - a small, yellowish-orange cranefly with a short median black line on the thorax and three tiny black dots near the front margin of each wing, and distinguished from a couple of similar species by the darkish preapical banding on the femora.

Molophilius sp. - a large genus of 23 species, making reliable identification difficult from photos.

Ormosia lineata - hard to separate from some similar species, but characterised by the lightish grey body coupled with rather narrow wings; typically found around seepages bordering wooded streams (as the individual featured here).

Phylidorea ferruginea - a rusty orangish-yellow coloured species with a plain unmarked thorax and yellowish tinted wings; relatively common, usually amongst vegetation alongside canals or around pond margins.

Symplecta stictica - described as having a more yellowish, rather brown or grey body seen in other Symplecta species; top of the head with median dark stripe and top of thorax with a thin median dark line, flanked by pale brown bands; wings with some dark spots and dark seams; lacking the extra cross-vein noted below, and with vein A2 being mildly sinuous; femora with dark brown subapical rings; occurs mostly in marshes, including coastal saltmarsh; flight period April to November.

I initially thought that the individual photographed at Calshot Marshes might have been Symplecta hybrida as vein A2 has a more pronounced loop, and there appeared to be signs of the extra cross-vein that this species would have between R2 and R3, but the location and time of year convinced me otherwise. 

Hairy-eyed Craneflies

TIPULOMORPHA > Tipuloidea > Pediciidae (20 species)

(subfamilies: Pediciinae and Ulinae)

From a casual observer's perspective, these species are much like Tipulidae, but with slightly different family characters, primarily due to the eyes being pubescent in having short erect hairs between the facets - a feature though, that can only be seen with good magnification and lighting. They are variable in size from as small as 5mm to very large, up to 35mm in Pedicia.

I certainly wouldn't have known that the individual featured below, that I photographed at Crane Lake, was a member of this family if it hadn't of been identified by an expert from the UK Cranefly Recording Scheme FB group - confirmed as Tricyphona sp. probably Tricyphona immaculata. A small, greyish species with pale brown tinted wings with two wedged-shaped cells at the margins; wing length 5-9.5mm; legs with pale yellowish-brown bases to the femora; widespread and common, occurring in a variety of wetland habitats from spring to autumn.

Fold-winged Craneflies

PTYCHOPTEROMORPHA > Ptychopteroidea > Ptychopteridae (7 species)

(subfamilies: none)

A small family of craneflies that have a distinctive look when at rest, as the wings which are held away from the body, appear twisted - hence the common name.  Variable in size and form, but typically with a shining black or black-and- orange coloured body. Ptychoptera contaminata is a widespread, still water species with strong wing markings; wing length 7-10mm; flight period from mid-May to mid-September.

New page added, Dec.24 (v.1)