limoniid crane fly

Discobola annulata is a widely distributed, medium-sized, typical crane fly. It occurs in Europe, Asia, and North America. In the United States it occurs from Maine to Maryland, west to Minnesota and Illinois, and south along the Appalachian Mountains to northern Georgia. It also occurs across southern Canada from Nova Scotia to British Columbia.

Adults are active from June through October. They are found in wet or moist deciduous woodlands near streams or small rivers. They are seen on moss-covered bases of trees, in hollow logs and other protected places, and occasionally on tree trunks. The larvae are found under the bark of decaying wood.

Adults are 5 ⁄16″ to 7⁄16″ (8 to 11 mm) in length. The body is yellowish brown or yellowish greenish brown. It is subtly shiny, and it has a sparse, grayish, powdery coating (pruinose).

The head is dark brown. It has erect brown hairs and a gray pruinosity. The eyes are large. The antennae have 14 segments. The first segment (scape) is dark brown. The second segment (pedicel) is short and lighter brown. The remaining segments (flagellomeres) are dark brown. Each flagellomere has an ascending hair on the outer margin and a distinct, highly contrasting, yellowish, stalk (pedicel) at the tip. From a distance, this gives the antennae a banded appearance. The snout (rostrum) is brown to dark brown.

The thorax is light brown. The plate at the front of the thorax (pronotum) is distinctly longer than wide. It is yellowish on the upper surface, and there is a brown stripe on the sides. The next and largest plate (prescutum) is mostly yellowish brown with a brown longitudinal line in the middle, a spot on each side of the line, and a broad dark brown stripe on each side that looks like a continuation of the stripe on the pronotum.

The wings are yellowish with brown, eye-like markings along the leading edge (costal margin), the inner margin, and between. The central part of the median cell has no spots, and there are no small, dot-like spots anywhere.

The legs are very long. On each leg, the third segment (femur) is yellow or light brown with a broad, dark brown ring near the tip. The fourth segment (tibia) is brownish yellow.

The first one to three segments of the abdomen are green or greenish.

Total length: 5 ⁄16″ to 7⁄16″ (8 to 11 mm)

Woodlands

June through October

Sources

7, 27, 29, 30, 82, 83.

Some sources categorize Discobola annulata in the genus Limonia and subgenus Discobola, or just in the genus Limonia with no subgenera listed. Limonia is a very large genus, with more than 2,000 species in 41 subgenera worldwide. It is considered a “catch-all” genus, and many species will ultimately be transferred elsewhere.

There is much disagreement about the proper scientific name of this species.

GBIF, NCBI, and NatureServe use the name Discobola annulata,

BugGuide and Discover Life use the name Limonia annulata.

ITIS uses the name Dolichopeza sayi.

Catalogue of the Craneflies of the World lists all three of the above names as valid, giving each of them the status of “Recognized taxon.”

This species has no common name. The common name for the family Limoniidae is limoniid crane flies, and it is applied here for convenience.

Alfredo Colon
6/20/2024

Location: Albany, NY

Location: Statesboro, Georgia

crane fly

Roy Williams
6/8/2020

Location: Bemidji MN 56601