FEATURES:

 

COMMON NAME:

  • Crane Flies or 'Daddy-Long-Legs'

MORPHOLOGY:

  • Size varies greatly, from wing length of 2mm-4cm
  • (Williams, 1992, pg.81)
  • Narrow abdomen and wings with long probiscious, long legs, no mandibles, modified/reduced maxillae
  • Larvae:
  • Single pair of spiracles posteriouly, surrounded by a disk of fleshy lobes, lobes like a flower modelled in plasticine- elongated and cylindrical
  • The head is fairly complete, but partly excavated posteriorly and it can be retracted into the thorax
  • Large open spiracles at the tip of the abdomen, need to reach air periodically
  • (Oldroyd, 1964 pg. 29-36)
  • Adult:
  • Slender with V-shaped suture on mesonotum, presence of 2 anal veins reaching wing margins, lack of ocelli
  • Brittle legs that will break off under stress
  • (Williams, 1992 pg. 80)
  • Larvae:
  • Anterior portion of head is heavily sclerotized and well formed mouthparts
  • Posteriouly the head appears incomplete and extends into the thorax (3 thoracic and 8 abdomenal segments)
  • 9th abdomenal segment has a spiracular disc at lobes, 10th has anal gills
  • (Williams, 1992, pg.80)
  • The posterior portion of the head capsule incompletely sclerotized and retrated into the thorax.
  • The functional caudal spiracles, obtain oxygen around the surface of the water, unless water is well aereated, they use their cuticle
  • (Thorp, 1991 pg.629)
  • Resemble very large mosquitoes with long fragile legs unlike mosquitoes they do not feed as adults and function only in mating and oviposition most have functional caudal spiracles and come to the surface to get atmospheric air
  • Some living in highly oxygenated water breathe through cuticle (http://www.biology.eku.edu/SCHUSTER/bio%20806/diptera.htm)

FUNCTIONAL FEEDING GROUP:

  • Shredders-chewers and miners
  • Detritivores
  • Suctorial and modified mouthparts for piercing (mostly females)
  • (Williams, 1992 pg.78)
  • No chewing or piercing mouthparts
  • (Oldroyd, 1964 pg.217)
  • To a large extent they function in a role similar to earthworms
  • Herbivores and detritivores, some are carnivores
  • (http://www.biology.eku.edu/SCHUSTER/bio%20806/diptera.htm)