Ptychopteridae, the phantom crane flies, is a small family (three extant genera) of nematocerous Diptera. Superficially similar in appearance to other "tipuloid" families, they lack the ocelli of Trichoceridae

Trichoceridae

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...

, the 5-branched radial vein of Tanyderidae

Tanyderidae

Tanyderidae, or primitive crane flies, of the order Diptera are long, thin, delicate insects with spotted wings, superficially similar in appearance to some Tipulidae, Trichoceridae, and Ptychopteridae. Most species are restricted in distribution...

, and the two anal veins that reach the wing

Insect wing

Insects are the only group of invertebrates known to have evolved flight. Insects possess some remarkable flight characteristics and abilities, still far superior to attempts by humans to replicate their capabilities. Even our understanding of the aerodynamics of flexible, flapping wings and how...

 margin of Tipulidae. They are usually allied with the Tanyderidae based on similarities of the mesonotal suture, this group being called the Ptychopteromorpha.

Egg

Ptychoptera albimana (Paleartic) has a mean of 554 eggs laid. The shape being slightly arcuated, "curiously ornamented" and roughly 0.8 ×. Duration is reported at 7 days.

Larvae

The larva

Larva

A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...

e are eucephalous and distinctive for the long, caudal respiratory siphon they possess. At hatching they measure just under 4 millimetre (0.15748031496063 in) in P. albimana, quickly growing to nearly 80 millimetres (3.1 in). They occur in moist habitats (described as "wet swales and meadows" for Ptychoptera; along lentic shorelines and Alder swamps for Bittacomorpha) where they feed as collector-gatherers on decaying organic matter.

Pupae

The pupae possess a single, greatly elongated spiracular horn protruding from their thorax. In Ptychoptera and Bittacomorpha it is the right horn that is elongated; in Bittacomorphella it is the left. Reported times spent in this stage vary from 5 to 12 days.

Adult

The adults are found most often from late spring through to autumn in shaded, moist environs. It is presumed that adults feed little, if at all. There are two generations per year.

The common species of Eastern North America (Bittacomorpha clavipes) is known for the odd habit of spreading out its legs while flying, using expanded, trachea-rich tarsi to waft along on air currents.

Why they are called “phantom” crane flies: Their legs are thin and black with white sheaths near the tips, and when they fly under a shady tree, everything disappears except the white spots, appearing and disappearing like a “phantom”.

Subfamilies

Ptychopterinae – 16 antennomeres; M₁ cell present

1. Ptychoptera Meigen, 1803

Bittacomorphinae – 20 antennomeres; M1 & M₂ veins fused, thus without M₁ cell

1. Bittacomorpha Westwood, 1835
2. Bittacomorphella Alexander, 1916

The general appearance of the two forms is strikingly different. The species of Bittacomorphinae are similar in size and shape to the Tipulidae, but exhibit a striking black & white coloration — hence the common name "phantom crane flies". The two genera differ as adults in their size and the extent of white coloration on the legs. The larvae of Bittacomorphella possess unique protuberances not seen in the other two genera. Ptychoptera resemble large Mycetophilids, being generally a shiny black and often with patterned wings.

Species

Scientific name	| Authority Authority (disambiguation) Authority is the power to enforce laws, exact obedience, command, determine or judge.Authority may also refer to:* Authority , formal or legitimate, specified in a charter...	| Location	| Comments
Bittacomorpha (Westwood John Obadiah Westwood John Obadiah Westwood was an English entomologist and archaeologist also noted for his artistic talents.Born in Sheffield, he studied to be a lawyer but abandoned that for his scientific interests.... , 1835)
Bittacomorpha clavipes aka Tipula clauipes	Fabricius Johan Christian Fabricius Johan Christian Fabricius was a Danish zoologist, specialising in "Insecta", which at that time included all arthropods: insects, arachnids, crustaceans and others... , 1781 (both variants)	Eastern North America North America North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas... , ranging as far west as the Rocky Mountains Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...	The most common and distinctive species
Bittacomorpha occidentalis	Aldrich Aldrich -Places:In the United States:*Aldrich, Minnesota*Aldrich Township, Minnesota*Aldrich, Missouri*Aldrich, New York-People:Surname*Bess Streeter Aldrich, American author*Chester Hardy Aldrich, Governor of Nebraska*Chester Holmes Aldrich, American architect... , 1895	Pacific Northwest Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
Bittacomorphella (Alexander Charles Paul Alexander Charles Paul Alexander was an American entomologist born September 25, 1889, in Gloversville, New York. He died on December 3, 1981.Charles Paul Alexander was the son of Emil Alexander and Jane Alexander . He entered Cornell University in 1909, earning a Bachelor of Sciences in 1913 and a Ph. D. in... , 1916)
Bittacomorphella esakii	Tokunaga, 1938	Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
Bittacomorphella fenderiana	Alexander Charles Paul Alexander Charles Paul Alexander was an American entomologist born September 25, 1889, in Gloversville, New York. He died on December 3, 1981.Charles Paul Alexander was the son of Emil Alexander and Jane Alexander . He entered Cornell University in 1909, earning a Bachelor of Sciences in 1913 and a Ph. D. in... , 1947	Queen Charlotte Islands Queen Charlotte Islands Haida Gwaii , formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands, is an archipelago on the North Coast of British Columbia, Canada. Haida Gwaii consists of two main islands: Graham Island in the north, and Moresby Island in the south, along with approximately 150 smaller islands with a total landmass of... , down to North Oregon Oregon Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...	Often confused with one another in the literature until the mid-1900s, when Alexander delimited them based on the male hypopygium.
Bittacomorphella jonesi	Johnson Johnson Johnson is an English, Scottish, and Irish name of Norman origin. The name itself is a patronym of the given name John, literally meaning "son of John." The name John derives from Latin Johannes, which is derived through Greek Ἰωάννης Iōannēs, from Hebrew יוחנן Yohanan meaning "Yahweh has favoured"... , 1905	New England New England New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut... , south to North Carolina North Carolina North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte... Also seen in Minnesota Minnesota Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...  and Michigan Michigan Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
Bittacomorphella nipponensis	Alexander Charles Paul Alexander Charles Paul Alexander was an American entomologist born September 25, 1889, in Gloversville, New York. He died on December 3, 1981.Charles Paul Alexander was the son of Emil Alexander and Jane Alexander . He entered Cornell University in 1909, earning a Bachelor of Sciences in 1913 and a Ph. D. in... , 1924
Bittacomorphella pacifica	Alexander Charles Paul Alexander Charles Paul Alexander was an American entomologist born September 25, 1889, in Gloversville, New York. He died on December 3, 1981.Charles Paul Alexander was the son of Emil Alexander and Jane Alexander . He entered Cornell University in 1909, earning a Bachelor of Sciences in 1913 and a Ph. D. in... , 1958	Northern California Northern California Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers... , up to Oregon Oregon Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
Bittacomorphella sackenii	Röder Roder Roder is a village in the commune of Munshausen, in northern Luxembourg. , the village has a population of 61.... , 1890	Sierra Nevadas
Bittacomorphella thaiensis	Alexander Charles Paul Alexander Charles Paul Alexander was an American entomologist born September 25, 1889, in Gloversville, New York. He died on December 3, 1981.Charles Paul Alexander was the son of Emil Alexander and Jane Alexander . He entered Cornell University in 1909, earning a Bachelor of Sciences in 1913 and a Ph. D. in...  1953
Ptychoptera (Meigen Johann Wilhelm Meigen Johann Wilhelm Meigen was a German entomologist famous for his pioneering work on Diptera.-Early years:Meigen was born in Solingen, the fifth of eight children of Johann Clemens Meigen and Sibylla Margaretha Bick. His parents, though not poor, were not wealthy either. The ran a small shop in... , 1803)
Ptychoptera byersi	Alexander Charles Paul Alexander Charles Paul Alexander was an American entomologist born September 25, 1889, in Gloversville, New York. He died on December 3, 1981.Charles Paul Alexander was the son of Emil Alexander and Jane Alexander . He entered Cornell University in 1909, earning a Bachelor of Sciences in 1913 and a Ph. D. in... , 1966	California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
Ptychoptera lenis	Osten Sacken, 1877	P. l. lenis: Pacific Northwest Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the... P. l. coloradensis: Colorado Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...  and Utah Utah Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...	2 subspecies Subspecies Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one... , as enumerated to the left
Ptychoptera metallica	Walker Francis Walker (entomologist) Francis Walker was an English entomologist. He was one of the most prolific authors in entomology, and stirred controversy during his later life as his publications resulted in a huge number of junior synonyms.... , 1848	Central Canada Central Canada Central Canada is a region consisting of Canada's two largest and most populous provinces: Ontario and Quebec. Due to their high populations, Ontario and Quebec have traditionally held a significant amount of political power in Canada, leading to some amount of resentment from other regions of the... , Minnesota Minnesota Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state... , Michigan Michigan Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
Ptychoptera minor	Alexander Charles Paul Alexander Charles Paul Alexander was an American entomologist born September 25, 1889, in Gloversville, New York. He died on December 3, 1981.Charles Paul Alexander was the son of Emil Alexander and Jane Alexander . He entered Cornell University in 1909, earning a Bachelor of Sciences in 1913 and a Ph. D. in... , 1920	California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... , Idaho Idaho Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
Ptychoptera monoensis	Alexander Charles Paul Alexander Charles Paul Alexander was an American entomologist born September 25, 1889, in Gloversville, New York. He died on December 3, 1981.Charles Paul Alexander was the son of Emil Alexander and Jane Alexander . He entered Cornell University in 1909, earning a Bachelor of Sciences in 1913 and a Ph. D. in... , 1947	Northern California	similar to P. pendula & P. townesi
Ptychoptera osceola	Alexander Charles Paul Alexander Charles Paul Alexander was an American entomologist born September 25, 1889, in Gloversville, New York. He died on December 3, 1981.Charles Paul Alexander was the son of Emil Alexander and Jane Alexander . He entered Cornell University in 1909, earning a Bachelor of Sciences in 1913 and a Ph. D. in... , 1959	Florida Florida Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...	similar to P. quadrifasciata
Ptychoptera pendula	Alexander Charles Paul Alexander Charles Paul Alexander was an American entomologist born September 25, 1889, in Gloversville, New York. He died on December 3, 1981.Charles Paul Alexander was the son of Emil Alexander and Jane Alexander . He entered Cornell University in 1909, earning a Bachelor of Sciences in 1913 and a Ph. D. in... , 1937	British Columbia British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858... , down to Utah Utah Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...  and Colorado Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...	similar to P. minor
Ptychoptera quadrifasciata aka P. rufocinctus	Say Thomas Say Thomas Say was an American naturalist, entomologist, malacologist, herpetologist and carcinologist. A taxonomist, he is often considered to be the father of descriptive entomology in the United States. He described more than 1,000 new species of beetles and over 400 species of insects of other... , 1824	Eastern United States Eastern United States The Eastern United States, the American East, or simply the East is traditionally defined as the states east of the Mississippi River. The first two tiers of states west of the Mississippi have traditionally been considered part of the West, but can be included in the East today; usually in...
Ptychoptera sculleni	Alexander Charles Paul Alexander Charles Paul Alexander was an American entomologist born September 25, 1889, in Gloversville, New York. He died on December 3, 1981.Charles Paul Alexander was the son of Emil Alexander and Jane Alexander . He entered Cornell University in 1909, earning a Bachelor of Sciences in 1913 and a Ph. D. in... , 1943	Pacific Northwest Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...	considered to be fairly distinct based on male genitalia
Ptychoptera townesi	Alexander Charles Paul Alexander Charles Paul Alexander was an American entomologist born September 25, 1889, in Gloversville, New York. He died on December 3, 1981.Charles Paul Alexander was the son of Emil Alexander and Jane Alexander . He entered Cornell University in 1909, earning a Bachelor of Sciences in 1913 and a Ph. D. in... , 1943	Washington, Oregon Oregon Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...	similar to P. pendula
Ptychoptera uta	Alexander Charles Paul Alexander Charles Paul Alexander was an American entomologist born September 25, 1889, in Gloversville, New York. He died on December 3, 1981.Charles Paul Alexander was the son of Emil Alexander and Jane Alexander . He entered Cornell University in 1909, earning a Bachelor of Sciences in 1913 and a Ph. D. in... , 1947	Utah Utah Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...	similar to P. l. coloradensis

External links

• Ptychopteridae at Insects of Quebec webpage
• Photograph of larva at Troutnut.com website
• Diptera.info Gallery
• Video

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