Pachyneurid Fly - Cramptonomyia spenceri

Moved

… Chen Young, 15 June, 2009 - 9:36am

You have

got yourself a Cramptonomyia spenceri in family Pachyneuridae. All images are helpful for this unusual fly. - Chen

… Chen Young, 15 June, 2009 - 9:35am

trio of ocelli

Couple questions:
1) So, I take it that even though this *looks* a lot like a crane fly, it is just a "fly" or pachyneurid fly?
2) I noticed on my closeup images (and on Lynette's) that these guys have a clear trio of ocelli that remind me of hymenoptera. Do all flies have this feature? Do crane flies? Do all insects?

Thanks as always, Chen (and everyone else).

… Kevin Hall, 15 June, 2009 - 10:04am

There are certain characters

that entomologists use to separate flies of different families, and wing venation is one of them. Based on wing venation alone one can tell the pachyneurid fly from crane fly easily. Notice also that the pachyneurid fly you have is a male and Lynette has a female. A close look of both you will notice that the male has longer antennae.

Many flies have ocelli but not crane flies, that is one of the characters use to set crane flies apart from all the other related flies. Here is a key that you may find additional information on crane flies. - Chen

… Chen Young, 15 June, 2009 - 10:45am