''Ptychoptera albimana '' is a species of

fly Flies are insects of the Order (biology), order Diptera, the name being derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwing ...

in the family

Ptychopteridae The Ptychopteridae, phantom crane flies, are a small family (three extant genera) of nematocerous Diptera. Superficially similar in appearance to other "tipuloid" families, they lack the ocelli of the Trichoceridae, the five-branched radial vein ...

. It can be found throughout the

Palearctic The Palearctic or Palaearctic is the largest of the eight biogeographic realms of the Earth. It stretches across all of Eurasia north of the foothills of the Himalayas, and North Africa. The realm consists of several bioregions: the Euro-Sibe ...

R. L. Coe, Paul Freeman & P. F. Mattingly, 1950 ''Handbooks for the identification of British insects'' Vol 9 Part 2 ii. Diptera - 2. Nematocera: families Tipulidae to Chironomidae (Trichoceridae - Culicidae). Royal Entomological Society, Londo
pdf
/ref> but commonly found throughout Britain.

Description

The body of ''Ptychoptera albimana '' is mostly black with distinct orange marking, usually on the dorsal section. The insect is most active between spring and fall, with the female laying 500 eggs.

References

Ptychopteridae Insects described in 1787 Nematoceran flies of Europe {{Ptychopteromorpha-stub