Crane flies (tipilidae).They
have a long and thin body and very long, thin legs. The family Tipulidae
includes three subfamilies:
Tipulidae, Cylindrotominae and Limoniinae. They live in the same way.
The adult crane flies don’t eat oreat only a little nectar. They live only
to mate and live not long.
The female has a pointed tip which she uses to push her eggs into the soil.
The larvae
feed on the roots of plants. They can bee a pestbecause the damage to lawns.
Ceane flies (Tipulidae)
Ctenophora pectinicornis Family Crane flies (Tipulidae)
Length about 4 cm.
Photo: male
Photo 16-6-2011 This is a female.
The female abdomen is pointed for laying eggs into the ground.
Tipula paludosa. Family Crane flies (Tipulidae)
female
This species has 14 segments of the antenna. De Tipula oleracea is very
similar, but has 13 segments. In T.paludosa female abdomen is longer than the wings T.oleracea not. (not shown in this picture)
The wings are not folded in rest.
April - October, but most common in autumn.
Length: 12-17 mm.
Foto 13-9-2008
Tipula oleracea. Family Crane flies (Tipulidae)
female
April - October. The crane fly Tipula oleracea flies April - June
and a second generation August - October.
The leatherjackets from September overwinter.
Photo: May
Nephrotoma flavipalpis Family Crane flies (Tipulidae)
female
It's a crane fly with very long slender legs. Yellow with black. The wings are folded on the body.
Sometimes the wings are not folded. Than you can see how beautiful it is.
Palearctic area.
Photos 2-10-2011
Larva of a tipula. I don't know the species.
Tipulidae larvae can be identified by the 6 lobes on the abdomen at the
posterior end. Limoniidae larvae have fewer lobes.
Photo 9-4-2011
Other gnats (Nematocera) The antennae of
gnats have many segments. The antennae of flies have always three segments.
Anisopodidae
Window Gnat Sylvicola spec. Family
Anisopodidae
Another long legged fly. It is related to the
family Chironomidae (Non-Biting Gnats or Midge Flies)
No fear, it is a non-biting fly.
I don't know wich species. A common window gnat is Sylvicola fenestralis. In
the Netherlands are six species.
They have 16 segments of the antenna.
They have got their name because they are attracted to light especially
illuminated windows.
Their color also can be reddish.
This photo is from March 2009
The larvae lives of vegetable waste.
German: Fenstermücken
Bibionidae St Mark's flies are no flies. They
are gnats. You can see them in the early spring (often in groups). The males have larger
bulbous eyes than the females.
The larvae feed on decaying organic matter and
on the roots of grasses.
St Mark's fly (Bibio marci). Family
Bibionidae.
Leading edge of wing darkened, wing stigma clear, rest of the
wing milky white.
Length about 10 mm. April - May
Geman: Märzfliege, Märzhaarmücke, Markusfliege
oder Markushaarmücke French: Mouche de la Saint-Marc
St Mark's fly
(Bibio marci) Female Photo 17-4-2011
Bibio Johannis. male. Family
Bibionidae.
Features: Wing stigma black. Tarsus and shins light brown. Antennae of normal length, with 9 limbs. Metatarsus slightly thickened, about 3 times as long as wide.
Similar species are: bibio clavipes and bibio lanigerus.
Photo 2-4-2012
The larvae Bibionidae (Bibio or Dilophus: detail of anal opening is necessary to know
the species.)
The larvae resemble leatherjackets with a black head. These
larvae I found in October 2008. Very late in the year for these species.
A difference with the leatherjackets are fleshy outgrowths of the skin and the
entirely chitinised, external head.
They have no legs.
Photo: 27-10-2008
The larvae Bibionidae
After I had taken the photo above, I have seen them often in large numbers in the
garden on humus-rich places. After one day they disappeared. The larvae I found three years later, when I swept the street, looked
different. Probably a different species.
Photos 27-09-2011
Culicidae In this family females feed on mammals (humans,
cattle) blood. They have slender legs and wings. The antenna has 15 segments. The antennae
of males are long and hairy. The larvae are found in standing water. They feed on algae
etc. Males typically feed on nectar and plant juices. The females suck blood. The proteins in the blood are used
to develop the eggs.
I have read, that Culiseta subochrea is very
similar. And there are in the Netherlands more species. Namely: C.
alaskaensis, C. fumipennis, C. morsitans, C. ochtroptera. A large mosquito with white rings on the legs.
This mosquito can hibernate in buildings. Males can be recognized by the long hairy antennae.
See the pictures.
The
Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) looks also like the Culiseta. This
mosquito is native to Asia
but has invaded southern European countries. Aedes albopictus is an
important vector for the transmission of viral pathogens. Also with white
rings but darker.
Culiseta annulata is less dangerous, but people are stabbing by this
mosquito.
Photos 2-10-2011
Photos male 17-10-2011 German: Culiseta annulata Stechmücke
Maybe Common mosquito (Culex pipiens) Female.
Family Culicidae.
I am not sure. The wing veins are not visible in this picture. The females suck blood mainly
of birds. People are less stung by this mosquito. These mosquitoes can overwinter in buildings.
Photo 1-10-2011
Moth
flies, drain flies(Psychodidae)
Moth flies or drain fliesFamily
Psychodidae
Small 3 to 5 mm. They look like small moths. They have hairy wings. The antenna consists of 13 segments.
The eggs are laid in murky water or moist organic material. The larvae and
adults feed on fungi, bacteria, decaying matter. The adult moth fly likes
nectar too.
By this way of life we find them often in wet areas like toilets. They are not harmful, but can be annoying.
They are all over the world.
Photo 15-6-2011 German:
Schmetterlingsmücken
Ptychopteridae
Ptychoptera albimana.
Female. Family: Ptychopteridae, the Phantom Crane Flies. (No
crane fly!!)
Recognizable: The white tarses on the
backlegs. Similar
in appearance to Crane flies. The larvae live
in muddy shores, where they feed on algae.
The adults are found most often from late spring through to autumn in
shaded, moist environs.
Sciaridae
Sciaridae spec. Family Sciaridae
March 2009.
I have in the garden a trunk of a dead apple tree.
There ofen are different species of flies on it. Two little gnats (5
mm) were walking on this trunk.
There are many little gnats, belonging to the family Sciaridae Usually
they are not to determine from a photo. Length 1 mm to 7 mm.
They also are non-biting flies. Ze steken niet.Larvae often live in decaying
organic material.
The same month I found a much smaller species. About 2 mm.
I want to thank everyone, who has helped me (waarneming.nl)
to identify. In particular, Joke van Erkelens, Robert Heemskerk, Mark van Veen,
Gerard Pennard, Niels-Jan Dek and Han Endt. With the determination of Tachinidae I have had
much help from Theo Zeegers and Chris Raper. (On diptera)
Nederlands /
Dutch
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