Numbers
32 spp. in our area, ~200 total
(1)Identification
Long, thick spurs on adult protibiae distinctive. Larvae have two openings in the posterior spiracle, compared to one in Penthetria and three in Dilophus. Wing venation has Rs (or R5) unforked, shared with Dilophus and distinct from the other genera in the family.
Wing venation (note that R-M is shorter in the illustration than is typical of the genus):
Posterior spiracle:
Range
Worldwide, but mostly holarctic (about half of the spp. are Palaearctic), poorly represented in warmer climes
(1)