Tanyderidae


Tanyderidae, sometimes called primitive crane flies, are long, delicate flies with spotted or mottled wings, superficially resembling true crane flies. Adults are typically found resting on vegetation near streams, while larvae occur in wet, decaying wood or along sandy and gravelly stream margins. Several fossil species are also known.

Description and distribution

Members of the family Tanyderidae resemble medium- to large-sized crane flies but retain a number of primitive features, including the full complement of five branches of the radial wing vein—structures that have been lost in most modern flies.
These characteristics, combined with their limited diversity of about forty known species, suggest that the group represents a relict lineage within the Nematocera.
Their distribution is fragmented across temperate regions of both hemispheres, with species recorded from southern Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and both North and South America. Tanyderidae are relatively common in southern Chile and New Zealand, where larvae inhabit submerged wood or coarse gravel in flowing streams, but are infrequently encountered elsewhere.
Adult tanyderids are easily recognized by their patterned wings and are often found hanging beneath bridges or from streamside vegetation. Like many lower Diptera, they are frequently attracted to artificial lights at night.

Taxonomy

Based on
  • Nannotanyderinae
  • * †Coramus
  • **Coramus gedanensis Baltic amber, Eocene 37.2 - 33.9 Ma
  • * †Dacochile Poinar & Brown, 2004
  • **Dacochile microsoma, Burmese amber, Myanmar, Late Cretaceous, 99 Ma
  • * †Nannotanyderus
  • **Nannotanyderus ansorgei Lebanese amber, Early Cretaceous, 130-125 Ma
  • **Nannotanyderus grimmenensis "Green Series", Germany, Early Jurassic 183 - 182 Ma
  • **Nannotanyderus incertus Shar-Teg, Mongolia, Late Jurassic, 150.8 - 145.5 Ma
  • **Nannotanyderus krzeminskii "Green Series", Germany, Toarcian, 183 - 182 Ma
  • **Nannotanyderus kubekovensis Karabastau Formation, Kazakhstan Middle/Late Jurassic 164.7 - 155.7 Ma
  • **Nannotanyderus oliviae Charmouth Mudstone Formation, United Kingdom, Early Jurassic, 196.5 - 189.6 Ma
  • *Peringueyomyina
  • **Peringueyomyina ''barnardi South Africa
  • Tanyderinae
  • * †Espanoderus
  • **Espanoderus barbarae Alava amber, Spain, Early Cretaceous 105.3 - 99.7 Ma
  • **Espanoderus orientalis Burmese amber, Myanmar, Cenomanian, 99 Ma
  • * †Similinannotanyderus
  • **Similinannotanyderus lii Burmese amber, Myanmar, Cenomanian, 99 Ma
  • **Similinannotanyderus longitergata Burmese amber, Myanmar, Cenomanian, 99 Ma
  • **Similinannotanyderus zbigniewi Burmese amber, Myanmar, Cenomanian, 99 Ma
  • * †Macrochile
  • **Macrochile spectrum Baltic amber, Eocene 37.2 - 33.9 Ma
  • **Macrochile hornei Baltic amber, Eocene 37.2 - 33.9 Ma
  • * †Podemacrochile
  • **Podemacrochile baltica Baltic amber, Eocene 37.2 - 33.9 Ma
  • * †Praemacrochile
  • **Praemacrochile ansorgei Daohugou, China, Karabastau Formation, Kazakhstan Shar-Teg, Mongolia, Middle-Late Jurassic 164.7 to 145.5 Ma
  • ** Praemacrochile chinensis Daohugou,'' China, Callovian/Oxfordian ~ 160 Ma
  • ** Praemacrochile decipiens Posidonia Shale, Germany, Toarcian 183.0 to 182.0 Ma
  • ** Praemacrochile dobbertinensis, "Green Series", Germany, Toarcian 183.0 to 182.0 Ma
  • ** Praemacrochile dryasis Daohugou, China, Callovian/Oxfordian ~ 160 Ma
  • ** Praemacrochile kaluginae Karabastau Formation, Kazakhstan Callovian/Oxfordian 164.7 to 155.7 Ma
  • ** Praemacrochile ovalum Daohugou, China, Callovian/Oxfordian ~ 160 Ma
  • ** Praemacrochile stackelbergi Ichetuy Formation, Russia, Late Jurassic 159-156 Ma
  • * Protanyderus Note: Lukashevich considers the assignation of these species to the living genus to be "in doubt" due to differing morphological characters
  • **Protanyderus astictum Daohugou, China, Callovian/Oxfordian ~ 160 Ma
  • ** Protanyderus invalidus Itat Formation, Russia, Middle Jurassic 171.6 - 164.7 Ma
  • ** Protanyderus mesozoicus Tsagaantsav Formation, Mongolia, Barremian, 130-125 Ma
  • ** Protanyderus nebulosus Shar-Teg, Mongolia, Tithonian, 150.8 - 145.5 Ma
  • **Protanyderus savtchenkoi Karabastau Formation, Kazakhstan Callovian/Oxfordian 164.7 to 155.7 Ma
  • **Protanyderus senilis Shar-Teg, Mongolia, Tithonian, 150.8 - 145.5 Ma
  • **Protanyderus vetus Shar-Teg, Mongolia, Tithonian, 150.8 - 145.5 Ma
  • **Protanyderus vulcanium Daohugou, China, Callovian/Oxfordian ~ 160 Ma
  • *Araucoderus
  • **Araucoderus ''gloriosus, Chile
  • *Eutanyderus
  • **Eutanyderus oreonympha Australia
  • **Eutanyderus wilsoni Australia
  • *Mischoderus
  • **Mischoderus annuliferus, New Zealand
  • **Mischoderus forcipatus New Zealand
  • **Mischoderus marginatus , New Zealand
  • **Mischoderus neptunus , New Zealand
  • **Mischoderus varipes, New Zealand
  • *Neoderus
  • **Neoderus chonos Chile
  • **Neoderus patagonicus Chile
  • *Nothoderus
  • **Nothoderus australiensis Tasmania
  • *Protoplasa
  • **Protoplasa fitchii, United States
  • *Protanyderus Note: Villanueva considers Protanyderus to be a junior synonym of Protoplasa
  • **Protanyderus alexanderi Kariya 1935 Japan
  • **Protanyderus beckeri, 1920. Turkestan
  • **Protanyderus esakii Alexander 1932 . Japan
  • **Protanyderus margarita Alexander 1948 USA.
  • **Protanyderus redeli Savchenko 1974 USSR.
  • **Protanyderus schmidi Alexander 1959 India
  • **Protanyderus sikkimensis Alexander 1961 India.
  • **Protanyderus stackelbergi Savchenko 1971 Mongolia
  • **Protanyderus vanduzeei USA.
  • **Protanyderus venustipes Alexander 1961 India.
  • **Protanyderus vipio USA.
  • **Protanyderus yankovskyi Alexnder 1938 North Korea
  • *Radinoderus
  • ** Radinoderus caledoniana Hynes, 1993
  • ** Radinoderus dorrigensis Alexander, 1930. Australia.
  • ** Radinoderus holwai Alexander, 1946. Solomon Islands.
  • ** Radinoderus mirabilis, 1915a. Papua New Guinea.
  • ** Radinoderus occidentalis, 1925. Australia.
  • ** Radinoderus ochroceratus Colless, 1962. Papua New Guinea.
  • ** Radinoderus oculatus, 1921. Papua New Guinea
  • ** Radinoderus ornatissimus, 1858. Indonesia.
  • ** Radinoderus pictipes Alexander, 1946. Indonesia.
  • ** Radinoderus solomonis, 1924. Solomon Islands.
  • ** Radinoderus supernumerarius Alexander, 1953. Indonesia.
  • ** Radinoderus terrae-reginae, 1924. Australia
  • ** Radinoderus toxopei Alexander, 1959a. Indonesia.
  • *Tanyderus
  • **Tanyderus ''pictus Philippi 1865 Chile, Concepcion
  • not assigned to a subfamily
  • * †Larvaderus
  • **Larvaderus triassicus'' Upper Keuper, Germany, Late Triassic