order
Coleoptera
“Adult Beetles”
Coleoptera
“Larval Beetles”
Diptera
“True Flies”
Ephemeroptera
“Mayflies”
Hemiptera
“True Bugs”
Lepidoptera
“Aquatic Caterpillars, Snout Moths”
Megaloptera
“Alderflies, Dobsonflies, and Fishflies”
Odonata
“Dragonflies and Damselflies”
Plecoptera
“Stoneflies”
Trichoptera
“Caddisflies”
family
Ptychopteridae
genus
Ptychoptera
“Phantom Crane Flies”
Genus Overview
10 species in North America. Adults are pretty interesting as they seem to disappear during flight. They will glide in the breeze with their long legs out and barely use their wings. A fantastic video of the genus Bittacomorpha shows their flight.
Characteristics
POLLUTION TOLERANCE
FEEDING HABITS
Collector / Gatherer
Shredder / Herbivore
Shredder / Herbivore
MOVEMENT
Burrower
DISTRIBUTION
Widespread (east of the Rocky Mtns.)
HABITAT
Lotic-depositional
Diagnostic Characters
Order
Legs Absent
Family
Head Capsule Complete and Exposed
Hooked Prolegs on 1-3
Long Respiratory Siphon
Mandibles Moving Horizontally
+ Expanded Character List
Order:
Wings and wing pads absent. Eye spots sometimes visible, but compound eyes absent. Segmented legs absent, but sometimes fleshy prolegs present. Sometimes with distinct head, often without head or with head drawn deeply into thorax. Body flattened, cylindrical, or maggot-like.
Family:
The head is distinct and conspicuous; there are no segmented legs; the body has many transverse ridges or rows of small setae; the first 3 abdominal segments each has a pair of small fleshy prolegs, each with a single, slender, curved claw.
Genus:
abdomen terminates into a long respiratory tube,
Lateral