Trichoceridae, or winter crane flies, of the order
Diptera
Flies are insects of the order Diptera, the name being derived from the Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwings having evolved into advanced ...
are long, thin, delicate
insect
Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body ( head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs ...
s superficially similar in appearance to the
Tipulidae
Crane fly is a common name referring to any member of the insect family (biology), family Tipulidae. Cylindrotominae, Limoniinae, and Pediciinae have been ranked as subfamilies of Tipulidae by most authors, though occasionally elevated to family ...
,
Tanyderidae
Tanyderidae, sometimes called primitive crane flies, are long, thin, delicate flies with spotted wings, superficially similar in appearance to some Tipulidae, Trichoceridae, and Ptychopteridae. Most species are restricted in distribution. They ...
, and
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 ...
. The presence of
ocelli
A simple eye (sometimes called a pigment pit) refers to a form of eye or an optical arrangement composed of a single lens and without an elaborate retina such as occurs in most vertebrates. In this sense "simple eye" is distinct from a multi-l ...
distinguishes the Trichoceridae from these other
families
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Ideall ...
. There are approximately 160 known species. The adults can be found flying in the fall and the spring and some are active even in the winter, hence their common name. They form dancing, loose swarms of mostly males. Adults can also be found resting inside
caves
A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea ...
and hollow logs.
Larva
A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle.
The ...
e occur in moist habitats where they feed on decaying vegetable matter. They are of no economic importance.
Range
Distributed globally. Most Trichoceridae species are found in non-tropical regions (
Holarctic
The Holarctic realm is a biogeographic realm that comprises the majority of habitats found throughout the continents in the Northern Hemisphere. It corresponds to the floristic Boreal Kingdom. It includes both the Nearctic zoogeographical region ...
regions). There are 27 species in North America.
Description
Besides Trichoceridae, there are very few insects that appear in adult form during winter months. They are usually seen in the fall or early spring and can be seen on mild winter days. Adult Trichoceridae are medium-sized flies that are hard to distinguish in the field. Aside from the presence of
ocelli
A simple eye (sometimes called a pigment pit) refers to a form of eye or an optical arrangement composed of a single lens and without an elaborate retina such as occurs in most vertebrates. In this sense "simple eye" is distinct from a multi-l ...
, they have a V-shaped
suture on the
mesonotum
The mesothorax is the middle of the three segments of the thorax of hexapods, and bears the second pair of legs. Its principal sclerites (exoskeletal plates) are the mesonotum (dorsal), the mesosternum (ventral), and the mesopleuron (lateral) on ...
and distinct wing
venation
Venation may refer to:
* Venation (botany), the arrangement of veins in leaves
* Wing venation, the arrangement of veins in insect wings
See also
*
* Vernation
Vernation (from ''vernal'' meaning ''spring'', since that is when leaves spring forth ...
(if present). Larvae are also found in colder months throughout the year. They live in decaying vegetable matter and can be distinguished by their well-developed head capsule,
amphineustic spiracular arrangement, and are oblique/vertical.
References
Further reading
*Borror, D.J., C.A. Triplehorn, & N.A. Johnson. 1989. ''An Introduction to the Study of Insects'', Sixth edition. Saunders College Publishing.
*Krzemińska, E. 1991. Trichoceridae. ''Checklist of Animals of Poland. Vol. II''. J. Razowski, ed. Wrocław-Warszawa-Kraków. Ossolineum, Polish Academy of Sciences.
*Krzemińska, E. 1995. Trichoceridae. ''Checklist delle specie della fauna Italiana. Vol. 62-65''. Pp. 17–39. Edizioni Calderini.
*Krzemińska, E. 1996. Trichoceridae. ''Brand-Stof. Een inventarisatie van der entomofauna van het Natuurreservaat "De Brand" in 1990.'' J. W. A. van Zuijlen, T. M. J. Peeters, P. S. van Wielink, A. P. W. van Eck, & E. H. M. Bouvy, eds. Insektenwerkgroep KNNV-afdeling Tillburg. Pp. 97–98.
*Pratt, H.D. 2003. The winter crane flies of North America north of Mexico (Diptera: Trichoceridae). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, 105: 901–914.
*Triplehorn, Charles A., Norman Johnson F., and Donald Borror J. Borror and DeLong's Introduction to the Study of Insects. 7th ed. Belmont, CA: Thompson Brooks/Cole, 2005.
*Petrašiūnas, Andrius, and Gunnar Kvifte Mikalsen. "New Records of Trichoceridae (Diptera) from the Island of Mallorca." Biodiversity Data Journal, Vol. 4, Issue 4. 21 Jan. 2016.
*“The oldest Polyneura (Diptera) and their importance to the phylogeny of the group,” Wieslaw Krzeminski 1991.
External links
Bishop Museum Fossil Insect CatalogPhotograph of adultImages from BugGuide
Nematocera families
Tipulomorpha
{{Tipulomorpha-stub