Ptychopteridae

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Phantom crane flies

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Diptera
Suborder:	Nematocera
Infraorder:	Ptychopteromorpha
Family:	Ptychopteridae

Genera

Ptychoptera
Bittacomorpha
Bittacomorphella

Ptychopteridae, the Phantom Crane Flies is a small family (three extant genera) of Nematocerous Diptera. Superficially similar in appearance to other "Tipuloid" families, they lack the ocelli of Trichoceridae, the 5-branched radial vein of Tanyderidae, and the two anal veins that reach the wing margin of Tipulidae. They are usually allied with the Tanyderidae based on similarities of the mesonotal suture; this group being called the Ptychopteromorpha.

1 Life History
2 Subfamilies
3 North American Species
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Life History

Egg
Ptychoptera albimana (Paleartic) has a mean of 554 eggs laid. The shape being slightly arcuated, "curiously ornamented" and roughly 0.8mm X 0.2mm. Duration is reported at 7 days.

Larvae
The Larvae are eucephalous and distinctive for the long, caudal respiratory siphon they possess. At hatching they measure just under 4mm in P. albimana, quickly growing to nearly 80mm. They occur in moist habitats (described as "wet swales and meadows" for Ptychoptera; along lentic shorelines and Alder swamps for Bittacomorpha) where they feed as collector-gatherers on decaying organic matter.

Pupae
The pupae possess a single, greatly-elongate spiracular horn from their thorax. In Ptychoptera and Bittacomorpha it is the right horn that is elongated; in Bittacomorphella it is the left. Reported times spent in this stage vary from 5 to 12 days.

Adult
The adults are found most often from late spring through to autumn in shaded, moist environs. It is presumed that adults feed little, if at all. There are two generations per year.

The common species of Eastern North America (Bittacomorpha clavipes) is known for the odd habit of spreading out its legs while flying, using expanded, trachea-rich tarsi to waft along on air currents.

[edit] Subfamilies

Ptychopterinae - 16 antennomeres; M₁ cell present

Ptychoptera Meigen 1803

Bittacomorphinae - 20 antennomeres; M₁ & M₂ veins fused, thus without M₁ cell

Bittacomorpha Westwood 1835
Bittacomorphella Alexander 1916

The general appearance of the two forms is strikingly different. The species of Bittacomorphinae are similar in size and shape to the Tipulidae but exhibit a striking black & white coloration, from whence the common name of 'Phantom Crane Flies' derives. The two genera differ as adults in their size and the extent of white coloration on the legs. The larvae of Bittacomorphella possess unique protuberences not seen in the other two genera. Ptychoptera resemble large Mycetophilids, being generally a shiny black and often with patterned wings.

[edit] North American Species

Bittacomorpha Westwood 1835
Bittacomorpha clavipes Fabricius 1781

The most common and distinctive species, found from Eastern NA to the edge of the Rocky Mountains (though not as abundant in the Plains states)

Bittacomorpha occidentalis Aldrich 1895

Restricted to the Pacific Northwest

Bittacomorphella Alexander 1916
Bittacomorphella jonesi Johnson 1905

The only Eastern species, ranges from New England down to North Carolina, with records from Minnesota and Michigan

Bittacomorphella fenderiana Alexander 1947
Bittacomorphella pacifica Alexander 1958
Bittacomorphella sackenii Röder 1890

These three species have been confused in the literature. Alexander delimited them based on the male hypopygium. B. fenderiana is the most northerly, found from Queen Charlotte Island down to Northern Oregon. B. pacifica occurs from Northern California up through Oregon (possibly Washington?). B. sackenii has a range in the Sierra Nevadas.

Ptychoptera Meigen 1803
Ptychoptera byersi Alexander 1966

From California

Ptychoptera lenis Osten Sacken 1877

Divided into 2 subspecies: P. l. lenis & P. l. coloradensis, thought to be most closely related to P. pendula; ranges through the Pacific Northwest & Colorado/Utah respectively

Ptychoptera metallica Walker 1848

Known from Central Canada, Minnesota & Michigan

Ptychoptera minor Alexander 1920

From California/Idaho

Ptychoptera monoensis Alexander 1947

From Northern California; similar to P. pendula & P. townesi

Ptychoptera osceola Alexander 1959

From Florida; similar to P. quadrifasciata

Ptychoptera pendula Alexander 1937

Ranges from British Columbia down to Utah and Colorado; similar to P. minor

Ptychoptera quadrifasciata Say 1824

Synonymous with P. rufocinctus; range includes much of Eastern US

Ptychoptera sculleni Alexander 1943

From Pacific Northwest; considered to be fairly distinct based on male genitalia

Ptychoptera townesi Alexander 1943

From Washington & Oregon; similar to P. pendula

Ptychoptera uta Alexander 1947

From Utah; similar to P. l. coloradensis

[edit] References

Alexander, C.P. 1928. Diptera. Fam. Ptychopteridae. Genera Insectorum 188: 1-12
Borror, D.J., C.A. Triplehorn, & N.A. Johnson. 1989. An Introduction to the Study of Insects, Sixth edition. Saunders College Publishing.
Byers, G.W. & D.A. Rossman. 2004. Preliminary survey of the crane flies of Louisiana (Diptera: Tipulidae, Ptychopteridae). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, 106: 884–890.
Stubbs, A.E. 1993. Provisional Atlas of the Ptychopteroid Craneflies (Diptera: Ptychopteridae) of Britain and Ireland. Centre for Ecology and Hydrology.
Zwick, P. 2004. Fauna Europaea: Ptychopteridae. In: Fauna Europaea: Diptera: Nematocera. H. DeJong, ed.