Species Information
Length 18 mm. An attractive cranefly with yellow and black markings. The narrow and usually broken black line down the centre of the abdomen helps identify this species from others that may be similar.
Adults craneflies live for only a few days in which they mate and feed on nectar and pollen. They fly at night and after mating, the females lay eggs in soil. The hatched larvae feed on plant roots. Seen April to August in hedgerows, roadside verges, grassy habitats, and gardens. Common and widespread throughout Britain.
Classification
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Insecta (Insects)
Diptera (True Flies)
Nematocera (Lower Diptera)
Tipulomorpha
Tipuloidea
Tipulidae (Long- palped Craneflies)
Nephrotoma
Nephrotoma flavescens (Linnaeus, 1758)
Photographs
All photographs copyright © Peter Hillman
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