Limoniidae

Limoniidae
Temporal range: Late Triassic–Present
Limonia nubeculosa
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Infraorder: Tipulomorpha
Superfamily: Tipuloidea
Family: Limoniidae
Diversity
ca. 150 genera

Limoniidae is the largest of four crane fly families, with more than 10,700 species in more than 150 genera. Some studies have suggested it to be a paraphyletic group, with some limoniids being more closely related to Tipulidae and Cylindrotomidae than to other limoniids.[1][2][3] Limoniid crane flies can usually be distinguished by the way the wings are held at rest. Limoniids usually hold/fold the wings along the back of the body, whereas other crane flies usually hold them out at right angles. Snow flies (genus: Chionea) such as Chionea scita have no wings at all.[4] Limoniids are also usually smaller than other crane flies, with some exceptions.[5]

The classification of Limoniid crane flies has been varied in the past, with the group treated both as subfamily and family,[6] but the following classification is currently accepted.[7][8][9][10][11][12] (Species counts are approximate, and vary over time.).[9] Recent phylogenetic analyses have revealed the family to be paraphyletic and further research is suggested.[1][7]

Family Limoniidae (Limoniid Crane Flies, more than 10,700 species)
Subfamily Chioneinae (4,324 species and subspecies)
Subfamily Dactylolabinae (59 species and subspecies)
Subfamily Limnophilinae (2,593 species and subspecies)
Subfamily Limoniinae (3,873 species and subspecies)
Subfamily †Architipulinae (extinct)
Subfamily †Drinosinae (extinct)
Subfamily †Eotipulinae (extinct)

These flies are found in damp places throughout the world, and many species form dense swarms in suitable habitats.

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Petersen2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Zhang, Xiao; Kang, Zehui; Mao, Meng; Li, Xuankun; Cameron, Stephen L.; Jong, Herman de; Wang, Mengqing; Yang, Ding (2016-06-24). O'Grady, Patrick (ed.). "Comparative Mt Genomics of the Tipuloidea (Diptera: Nematocera: Tipulomorpha) and Its Implications for the Phylogeny of the Tipulomorpha". PLOS ONE. 11 (6): e0158167. Bibcode:2016PLoSO..1158167Z. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0158167. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 4920351. PMID 27341029.
  3. ^ Lukashevich, Elena D.; Ribeiro, Guilherme C. (2019-04-18). "Mesozoic fossils and the phylogeny of Tipulomorpha (Insecta: Diptera)". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 17 (8): 635–652. doi:10.1080/14772019.2018.1448899. ISSN 1477-2019. S2CID 89966924.
  4. ^ Byers, G. (1983). "Crane fly genus Chionea in North America". The University of Kansas Science Bulletin. 52 (6): 59–195.
  5. ^ Watson, L. "Insects of Britain and Ireland: Diptera families - Limoniidae". www.delta-intkey.com. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Byers1981 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Zhang2016 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Kolcsár2021 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Oosterbroek2023 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference Zhang2019 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference bugguide was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Kopeć, Katarzyna; Soszyńska-Maj, Agnieszka; Kania-Kłosok, Iwona; Coram, Robert A.; Krzemiński, Wiesław (2021). "Morphology of the oldest fossil subfamily of Limoniidae (Diptera, Architipulinae) in the light of exceptionally preserved Mesozoic material". Scientific Reports. 11 (1): 24137. Bibcode:2021NatSR..1124137K. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-03350-4. PMC 8683464. PMID 34921169.