Nephrotoma appendiculata

Nephrotoma appendiculata, the spotted crane fly, is a species of crane fly.^[1][2]

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
Pachyrhina appendiculata Pierre, 1919 Tipula maculata Meigen, 1804 Tipula maculosa Meigen, 1818

Subspecies

Subspecies include: ^[3]

• Nephrotoma appendiculata appendiculata (Pierre, 1919) (Northwestern Europe and the Near East)
• Nephrotoma appendiculata pertenua Oosterbroek, 1978 (Southwestern Europe and North Africa)

Distribution

This species is present in most of Europe, in North Africa and in the Near East.^[4] Some in Southern Alberta Canada.

Habitat

These crane flies inhabit woodland edges, gardens, fields, rough grassland, and farmland.^[5][6]

Description

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]

Biology

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]

Gallery

• 
  Mating
• 
  Male
• 
  Female
• 
  Wing detail