Tiger Crane Fly - Nephrotoma

Yes,

a female Nephrotoma. Your image gives a very clear view to see one of the important characters for being a Nephrotoma, that is the very short and oblique Rs vein. The first longitudinal vein is the costal vein (C vein) which is the upmost vein (the marginal vein) of the wing, the second longitudinal vein is the subcostal (Sc vein), and the third one on the image is that very short one closed to where the stigma is. Most species of other genera have a much longer Rs vein except Nephrotoma. I hope I have made myself clear - Chen

… Chen Young, 24 March, 2006 - 10:19pm

I think I understand

I looked up an image the shows wing veins here. I linked a new image pointing to what I'm understanding to be the Rs vein. Please let me know if that's right.

… Lynette Schimming, 25 March, 2006 - 6:08am

is the short, slant vein toward the tip of the wing, not the one closed to the base of the wing as you marked. It is about 1/3 the length of the wing from the tip of the wing. When look at the external morphology image you provided, noticed the third long vein is R vein, and it reaches to the margin of the wing and was marked R1. Rs is the fork of the R vein, it forks again and eventually becomes R2, R3, R4, and R5. Keep in mind that the illustration shows the ideal wing, it is not always so true in real insects, there are many exceptions. For instance, on the real image of Nephrotoma you took, the Sc and R vein, they are so closed next to each other, it looks like only one vein in the image. I hope I did not confuse you further. I am in the process of making keys and illustrations for the PA Crane Flies site and hope it will help folks to understand. Let me know if you need more info. Thanks - Chen

… Chen Young, 25 March, 2006 - 7:57am

You're right the wing in the image I linked isn't similar enough for me to follow acurately. Which vein is the one I marked in the current image? If I know that I think I can figure this out.

… Lynette Schimming, 25 March, 2006 - 8:22am

Good,

the vein you marked is the one I mentioned earlier that there are actually two veins (Sc and R) next to each other very close. From the view the mark is positioned it is pointed to the R vein. Follow this vein to the right (the tip of the wing) and you see the small branch going downward, and this short branch is Rs. And Nephrotoma has this short Rs and it branched out of R close to the tip of the wing. Other crane flies has much longer Rs and it usually branch out from the mid or close to the base of the wing. The illustration you used has the Rs branches out from R very close to the base of the wing. - Chen

… Chen Young, 25 March, 2006 - 8:47am

Thanks for your patience

I think I got it now.

… Lynette Schimming, 25 March, 2006 - 9:04am

Yes. you got it!

It is so cool that you marked that Rs vein. Now I wish I knew the species of that female. It looks so distinct with that thoracic marking and the dark bands on the legs. I think it is time for me to take a southern collecting trip and to learn some new crane flies. Thanks, - Chen

… Chen Young, 25 March, 2006 - 1:03pm