Limoniidae
Guides
Orimarga mirabilis
Orimarga mirabilis is a crane fly species in the family Limoniidae, described by Osten Sacken in 1878. The species is known from the Nearctic and Neotropical regions, with records from the eastern and southern United States (Indiana to Georgia, south to Texas, Louisiana, and Florida) and Cuba. It is one of approximately 48 observed species in the genus Orimarga.
Phyllolabis
Phyllolabis is a genus of crane flies in the family Limoniidae, subfamily Limnophilinae. The genus was established by Osten Sacken in 1877 and contains approximately 50 described species distributed across the Holarctic region. Larval and pupal stages were first described in 2017 for P. mongolica, revealing morphological similarities to Austrolimnophila, Epiphragma, and Dactylolabis. Based on immature stage characters, Phyllolabis has been reclassified as a basal lineage within Limnophilinae s.l.
Phyllolabis flavida
Phyllolabis flavida is a species of crane fly in the family Limoniidae, described by Charles Paul Alexander in 1918. It is a member of the genus Phyllolabis, which belongs to the subfamily Limnophilinae. The species is known from California, USA, and is part of the Nearctic fauna. Very little specific biological information has been published for this species.
Phyllolabis hurdi
A species of crane fly in the family Limoniidae, described by Charles Paul Alexander in 1964. The species epithet honors entomologist Paul D. Hurd. Known from California, USA. Belongs to a genus characterized by distinctive wing venation patterns typical of the Limnophilinae subfamily.
Pilaria
Pilaria is a genus of crane flies in the family Limoniidae, established by Sintenis in 1889. These insects belong to the subfamily Limnophilinae and are distributed across northern Europe and parts of North America. The genus contains multiple species, though specific species-level information remains limited in available sources.
Pilaria quadrata
Pilaria quadrata is a species of crane fly in the family Limoniidae, described by Osten Sacken in 1860. It belongs to the subfamily Limnophilinae, a group of small to medium-sized crane flies often associated with moist habitats. The species is known from the Nearctic region with records across much of eastern and central North America. Like other members of Limoniidae, adults are characterized by their slender bodies and long legs relative to body size.
Pilaria tenuipes
Pilaria tenuipes is a crane fly in the family Limoniidae, first described by Thomas Say in 1823 under the name Limnobia tenuipes. It is a small, delicate nematoceran fly distributed across much of North America. The species is one of approximately 400 species in the genus Pilaria, which are typically associated with moist habitats. Despite its wide distribution, detailed biological information remains limited.
Polymera
Polymera is a genus of crane flies (Diptera: Limoniidae) established by Wiedemann in 1821. The genus contains approximately 60 described species organized into two subgenera: Polymera (sensu stricto) and Polymerodes. Species occur across the Americas, with numerous taxa described by Charles Paul Alexander throughout the 20th century. The genus is characterized by distinctive wing venation and genitalic structures typical of the Limnophilinae subfamily.
Prolimnophila areolata
Prolimnophila areolata is a species of crane fly in the family Limoniidae, originally described by Osten Sacken in 1860 as Limnophila areolata. The species is known from the Nearctic region, with records across eastern North America from Wisconsin and Ontario east to Newfoundland, and south to Tennessee and North Carolina. It belongs to the subfamily Limnophilinae, a group of crane flies often associated with moist habitats.
Pseudolimnophila
Pseudolimnophila is a genus of crane flies in the family Limoniidae, established by Alexander in 1919. The genus contains two subgenera: Pseudolimnophila (sensu stricto) and Calolimnophila. Species are small to medium-sized with distinctive wing venation and male genitalia structures. The genus has a broad global distribution with approximately 64 species across multiple biogeographic regions.
Pseudolimnophila luteipennis
Pseudolimnophila luteipennis is a species of limoniid crane fly first described by Osten Sacken in 1860. The species is widespread across North and Central America, with substantial observational records documenting its presence. As a member of the family Limoniidae, it belongs to one of the most diverse families of crane flies.
Rhypholophus
Rhypholophus is a genus of crane flies in the family Limoniidae, subfamily Chioneinae. The genus comprises approximately 21 described species distributed across Europe and North America. Species were described primarily in the 20th century, with the earliest description dating to Meigen (1818) for R. varius and the type species R. phryganopterus described by Kolenati in 1860.
Symplecta
Symplecta is a genus of crane flies in the family Limoniidae, established by Meigen in 1830. The genus contains multiple subgenera, with subgenus Symplecta sensu stricto comprising Arctic and partly Arctic distributed species. Species-level taxonomy within this group has undergone recent revision, with several species redescribed, new species described from Canada and Russia, and taxonomic synonyms resolved. The genus is characterized by distinctive male and female terminalia morphology used for species identification.
Symplecta cana
Symplecta cana is a crane fly species in the family Limoniidae, subgenus Symplecta sensu stricto. It has a broad distribution across northern North America, extending from Alaska and Arctic Canada southward throughout the contiguous United States, and reaching into Mexico and Guatemala. Taxonomic revision has clarified its distinction from the closely related S. hybrida, with which it occurs sympatrically and syntopically in some regions.
Teucholabis
Teucholabis is a genus of small crane flies in the family Limoniidae, established by Osten Sacken in 1860. The genus contains numerous species distributed across multiple subgenera, with immature stages of at least some species being xylobiont (wood-dwelling). Larvae have been documented living under bark among bast fibers of host trees. Adult morphology and ecological details remain poorly documented for most species.
Teucholabis carolinensis
Teucholabis carolinensis is a species of crane fly in the family Limoniidae, described by Alexander in 1916. It belongs to a genus of small to medium-sized limoniid flies found primarily in the Nearctic region. The species is known from a limited number of observations, with records concentrated in the southeastern United States.
Tipulidae
Large Crane Flies, Crane Flies
Tipulidae is a large family of true flies in the order Diptera, comprising over 4,200 described species in more than 30 genera. Members are commonly known as crane flies or large crane flies, characterized by their elongated bodies and exceptionally long, slender legs. Adults are typically short-lived and often do not feed; their primary purpose is reproduction. Larvae occupy diverse moist habitats including soil, leaf litter, decaying wood, and aquatic environments, where most feed on decaying organic matter. The family has a fossil record extending to the Late Jurassic.
DipteraNematoceracrane-fliesdecomposerssaprophagousshort-lived-adultsmating-swarmsturfgrass-pestsharmless-to-humansworldwide-distributionLate-Jurassic-fossilsCharles-Paul-Alexandermaxillary-palps13-antennal-segmentsLimoniidaePediciidaemosquito-hawk-misnomerdaddy-longlegs-confusionleatherjacketsaquatic-larvaeterrestrial-larvaespring-emergencelight-attractionwingless-snow-crane-flies-in-genus-Chionea-(now-Limoniidae)Toxorhina
Toxorhina is a genus of crane flies in the family Limoniidae comprising over 150 extant species across three subgenera: Ceratocheilus, Eutoxorhina, and Toxorhina. The genus is distinguished by an elongate rostrum and reduced wing venation compared to other crane flies. Members have been recorded from tropical and subtropical regions worldwide, with fossil evidence extending the stratigraphic range to the Eocene. The genus shows its highest diversity in tropical zones, particularly in the Oriental and Afrotropical regions.
Trioxina
Trioxina is a genus of crane flies in the family Limoniidae, subfamily Chioneinae. These insects are characterized by their elongated bodies and long, slender legs typical of the group. The genus is distinguished by specific wing venation patterns and genitalic structures. Species within Trioxina are generally small to medium-sized limoniid crane flies.
Ulomorpha
Ulomorpha is a genus of crane flies in the family Limoniidae, first described by Osten Sacken in 1869. The genus contains ten described species distributed across North America and East Asia. Members are characterized by distinctive wing venation and body setation patterns typical of the subfamily Limnophilinae.