You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Italian. (April 2012) Click [show] for important translation instructions.
|
Winter crane flies Temporal range:
| |
---|---|
Trichocera hiemalis | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Diptera |
Suborder: | Nematocera |
Infraorder: | Tipulomorpha |
Superfamily: | Trichoceroidea |
Family: | Trichoceridae Rondani, 1841 |
Genera | |
Trichoceridae, or winter crane flies, of the order Diptera are long, thin, delicate insects superficially similar in appearance to the Tipulidae, Tanyderidae, and Ptychopteridae. The presence of ocelli distinguishes the Trichoceridae from these other families. There are approximately 160 known species. The adults can be found flying in the fall and the spring and some are active even in the winter, hence their common name. They form dancing, loose swarms of mostly males. Adults can also be found resting inside caves and hollow logs. Larvae occur in moist habitats where they feed on decaying organic matter. They are important contributors to winter food webs.