Limoniid Crane Flies (Limoniidae) - 147 Species, Identification & Facts

Achyrolimonia neonebulosa

Identification: Subcostal vein extending nearly to fork of Rs. Rs long, arched portion extending more than halfway to vein M. Promiment dark spots over base of Rs, tip of Sc, tip of R1, fork of R2, along the cord, and over the distal edge of the di

Atarba picticornis

Identification: Adult preserved specimens: wings polished yellow; abdomen yellow with blackened subterminal ring on each segment; antennae elongate, bicolored with pale and dark rings - a distinguishing feature; legs yellow, with terminal tarsal segm

Chionea albertensis

Named after Alberta, where it was discovered, this species is found in "forested, generally mountainous areas" from Banff south to central Oregon and Idaho.

Chionea obtusa

Identification: "Brown to grayish brown in color, with antennae having five to seven flagellomeres"

Chionea valga

Identification: A wingless Crane Fly with external genitalia.

Cladura flavoferruginea

Identification: Adult: body orangish-yellow in preserved specimens (more brownish-orange in live individuals) with brown bands across dorsal surface of abdomen; ventral surface of abdomen pale yellowish; wings transparent with brown dots along cross-

Dactylolabis postiana

Identification: "This is one of the most distinct species of the genus so far made known. It is readily distinguished from all other Nearctic species by the very heavy dark wing pattern that is in part ocelliform, with pale centers." (Alexander, 1944

Dactylolabis vestigipennis

Identification: " D. vestigipennis is a small cranefly with extremely minute wings with the venation completely atrophied in both sexes. It is uniformly dark brownish-black in body color with the wings whitish. The legs are lighter brown, darkened

Dicranomyia defuncta

Identification: Species of Dicranomyia with spots in wing cells including bm, no spots crossing vein Cu but some spots may touch it on either side, and femora with dark markings aside from the terminal ring. Previously confused with other members of

Dicranomyia fusca

Identification: Dark-colored Dicranomyia with macrotrichia in outer wing cells. The only species of subgenus Numantia .

Dicranomyia ypsilon

Identification: Male with "proctiger appearing as a blackened Y-shaped rod extending from beneath the posterior margin of the tergite ", which according to Alexander 1959c suggested the specific epithet to him.

Dicranoptycha melampygia

Identification: Dorsal dististyle dark, curved, tapering to point. Ventral dististyle narrowest near midlength with blunt apex. " D. melampygia may be distinguished from occidentalis by the dark brown body color, dense costal fringe, and detailed str

Dicranoptycha sobrina

Identification: Sternites yellow with anterior (not middle) gray band.

Discobola annulata

Identification: body yellowish or greenish-yellow; wings yellow with a supernumerary cross vein in cell 1st A, connecting the two anal veins; series of eye-like brown markings along costal margin; femora with subterminal black ring and clear yellow a

Erioptera furcifer

Identification: Can only be separated from other chlorophylla group species by the male genitalia. Hypopygium of E. furcifer :

Erioptera knabi

Identification: The wing pattern is concentrated towards the leading edge of the wing; the veins around the fork of R2+3+4 are conspicuously darker than the white spot they are in.

Erioptera needhami

Erioptera (Mesocyphona) serpentina Alexander, 1941 is very similar but rare. The thorax of that species may be less distinctly marked.

Erioptera septemtrionis

Identification: Distinguished from close relatives by the pale brown color with contrasting dark halteres. Females are attracted to light (Alexander, 1919:882).

Eutonia phorophragma

Identification: Thorax a "deep cinnamon brown" (Alexander, 1944) with a strong crossvein between R5 and M1.

Limonia canadensis

Geranomyia canadensis

Identification: Wings unmarked except for stigma, body yellowish brown, thorax with dark marks, legs brownish yellow, femora dark tipped (Alexander, 1943)

Geranomyia rostrata

Identification: The wing pattern, with 4-5 conspicuous costal marks, tibiae with darkened tips, and fore tibiae with tips expanded or swollen, will separate this species from all Nearctic congeners and closely allied Neotropical species. These close

Gnophomyia tristissima

Identification: body black with bright yellow halteres Page creation based on Chen Young's identification of this image .

Gonomyia alexanderi

Identification: Only two branches of Rs reaching wing margin (R3 and R4 fused), tibiae contrasting white, costal margin of wing white (not yellow).

Gonomyia helophila

Identification: Distinguished from most other Gonomyia by color pattern, especially dark fore femora and white fore tibiae. There are a few other similarly colored species in or near North America:

Gonomyia hoogstraali

Identification: The basistyle continues as a thin, curved projection far beyond the attachment of the dististyles.

Gonomyia pleuralis

Identification: Veins R3 and R4 fused to wing margin. Legs without contrasting markings except for dark ring near tip of each femur. Stigma conspicuous.

Gonomyia puer

Identification: Veins R3 and R4 fused to wing margin. Dististyles with asymmetric long black curved hooks. Thorax with contrasting yellow stripe on side. Stigma lacking, legs without contrasting markings.

Helius flavipes

Identification: Head: Head brownish-gray. Palpi and proboscis black. Proboscis a little longer than head. Antenna: Brown at base, rest of segments lighter brown. Thorax: Either yellowish or brownish, usually stripes are indistinct. Wings: Clear with

Hexatoma spinosa

Identification: Adult: body brownish-gray; wings yellowish-brown with conspicuous dark veins; legs dark yellow to brown, slightly darker at joints; thorax with two longitudinal dark dorsal stripes and two subdorsal stripes that are broken or shorter

Hoplolabis armata

Identification: In the East, the strong spur of M3 into the discal cell distinguishes this species from other Erioptera s. lat.

Limnophila munda

Identification: Shiny black body, wings with dark markings along some veins, femora with black tips.

Limonia parietina

Identification: The wingtip is nearly truncated instead of evenly rounded. Page creation based on Chen Young's identification of this image .

Metalimnobia cinctipes

Identification: wings with four black patches along costa and several dark gray patches elsewhere; legs orangish-yellow; each femur has two dark bands near the tip (a distinguishing feature) page creation based on Dr. Chen Young's identification of t

Metalimnobia novaeangliae

Identification: Halteres dark, cell r without dark spots in basal half, first dark band on femora weak or absent (compare M. cinctipes for the strongly banded condition).

Phyllolabis hurdi

Identification: "This is an unusually distinct species, differing from all others in the Nearctic fauna by the wing pattern and hypopygial structure. The only other regional species with patterned wings is Phyllolabis myriostica Alexander which has a

Pseudolimnophila luteipennis

Identification: Body gray, paler laterally, wing yellowish with brown markings on crossveins and forks of veins. Cell m1 present (vein M1+2 forked).

Pseudolimnophila noveboracensis

Identification: Orange unmarked Pseudolimnophila without Cell M1.

Rhipidia domestica

Identification: "Note the slightly expanded antennal segements and the pale color of the few antennal segments prior to the apical segment." -- Chen Young " Rhipidia domestica have antennomeres 12 & 13 light, not R. duplicata ." -- Matt Bertone Sever

Rhipidia maculata

Identification: Male flagellomeres branched, wing with many small spots in cells, scutum with broad darker median stripe.

Rhipidia maculata

Rhipidia maculata-b

Identification: The bipectinate antennae of the male and the heavily spotted wing pattern are distinctive.

Rhipidia schawrzi

Identification: Wing spotted. Antenna with two pale flagellomeres, as in domestica . Scutum with broad pale margin.

Symplecta cana

Identification: head and body medium gray with 3 dark gray stripes on top of thorax; legs long, unbanded, dark gray or blackish; several dark spots scattered across otherwise clear wings; S-shaped vein A2 is characteristic of genus Symplecta The firs