| Nephrotoma appendiculata | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Diptera |
| Family: | Tipulidae |
| Genus: | Nephrotoma |
| Species: | N. appendiculata |
| Binomial name | |
| Nephrotoma appendiculata (Pierre, 1919) | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Nephrotoma appendiculata, the spotted crane fly, is a species of crane fly. [1] [2]
Subspecies include: [3]
This species is present in most of Europe, in North Africa and in the Near East. [4]
These crane flies inhabit woodland edges, gardens, fields, rough grassland, and farmland. [5] [6]
Nephrotoma appendiculata has a wingspan of about 50 mm (2.0 in), [5] and a body length of 13–15 mm (0.5–0.6 in). [6] [7] The body is yellow with a few short, black stripes on the thorax , a black horseshoe mark on the side [6] and a broad dark stripe [6] on each section of the abdomen. The wings have a thin, yellow line near the leading edge. [5] The wing stigma is usually pale, but sometimes it is dark. [6]
This species is rather similar to Nephrotoma flavescens . [6]
Adults can be seen from April to August. [6] [7] The larvae, known as "leatherjackets", [5] feed on the roots of grasses, [6] [7] while the adults feed on umbellifers such as cow parsley. [6] [7]
A crane fly is any member of the insect family Tipulidae. Cylindrotominae, Limoniinae, and Pediciinae have been ranked as subfamilies of Tipulidae by most authors, though occasionally elevated to family rank. In the most recent classifications, only Pediciidae is now ranked as a separate family, due to considerations of paraphyly. In colloquial speech, crane flies are known as mosquito hawks or "skeeter-eaters", though they do not actually prey on adult mosquitos or other insects. They are also sometimes called "daddy longlegs", a name which is also used for arachnids of the family Pholcidae and the order Opiliones. The larvae of crane flies are known commonly as leatherjackets.
The pin-tailed sandgrouse is a medium large bird in the sandgrouse family. It has a small, pigeon like head and neck and a sturdy, compact body. It has long pointed wings, which are white underneath, a long tail and a fast direct flight. Flocks fly to watering holes at dawn. The call is a loud kattar-kattar. This gregarious species breeds on dry open treeless plains and similar habitats. Its nest is a ground scrape into which two or three cream-coloured eggs with cryptic markings are laid. Both sexes incubate the eggs.
Abraxas sylvata, the clouded magpie, is a Palearctic moth of the family Geometridae that was named by Giovanni Antonio Scopoli in 1763.
Tipula is a very large insect genus in the fly family Tipulidae. The members of this genus are sometimes collectively called common crane flies. Tipula contains over 2,000 species located throughout the world.
Schinia scutosa, the spotted clover, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found from Europe to southern Siberia, the Near East and the Middle East and from central Asia to Japan. In North Africa it is found from Morocco to Egypt.
Nephrotoma flavipalpis is a species of crane flies in the family Tipulidae.
Nephrotoma cornicina is a species of fly in the family Tipulidae.
Nephrotoma ferruginea is a species of large crane fly in the family Tipulidae.
Chionea alexandriana is a species of snow fly (chionea) in the family Limoniidae. The species is common in the western mountains of North America, including Alberta, British Columbia, Washington State, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Utah, and California. J.A. Chapman (1954), working in Montana, found them to be most abundant in snow fields at 3600-7000 feet elevation from November to April at temperatures ranging from 21-32 degrees F.
Nephrotoma virescens is a species of large crane fly in the family Tipulidae.
Nephrotoma cingulata is a species of large crane fly in the family Tipulidae.
Nephrotoma byersi is a species of large crane fly in the family Tipulidae.
Nephrotoma eucera is a species of large crane fly in the family Tipulidae.
Nephrotoma altissima is a species of large crane fly in the family Tipulidae.
Limonia humidicola is a species of limoniid crane fly in the family Limoniidae. It can be found in Southern Canada, across the United States, and into Central America, commonly in shady, wet areas along streams.
Nephrotoma pedunculata is a species of large crane fly in the family Tipulidae.
Nephrotoma tenuis is a species of large crane fly in the family Tipulidae.
Nephrotoma macrocera is a species of large crane fly in the family Tipulidae.
Nephrotoma alterna is a species of large crane fly in the family Tipulidae.
Nephrotoma guestfalica is a species of crane fly within the family Tipulidae. It is present throughout the Palearctic and the species consists of multiple subspecies. Nephrotoma guestfalica has a preference for sandy soils, especially river banks.
Media related to Nephrotoma appendiculata at Wikimedia Commons