---

Hello Forum,

one of the Tipulidae fly from the alder marshland in Hagen (D) 175 m above sea level. This photo I took on May 17th 2007. The plant in the background is Urtica dioica.

What species of the Tipulidae is it? Is an ID possible?

Best wishes

Josef

---

For some reason, this one looks like a fly in the family Cylindrotomidae to me. Again, it will need some local expert to confirm this guess.

---

Hello Chen,

Tipulidae are obviously very difficult to identify. It seems, you are nearly the only one in the forum with specialist knowledge. So, thank you very much for all the answers until now. Surely, there will be more.

In Germany there are only 4 members of the subfamily Cylindrotomidae. But I didn't find any internet-picture of them nor other illustrations. Do you know where to find such images?

Best wishes

Josef

---

I've never found a cylindrotomid cranefly :(, but Alan Stubbs has produced a key to the four British species, and judging by this yours is either Cylindrotoma distinctissima or Diogma glabrata, but to tell these two apart we need to see a close-up of either the head, the venation of the wingtip, or the tip of the abdomen.

Martin

---

I don't know the images of the European species. Here is a link to a few of the North American species for your reference.

---

And having read a bit more of Alan's notes in the key, he suggests that (in the UK at least) Cylindrotoma flies in May-June (and a second brood in August), with Diogma in July, so that might mean that Cylindrotoma distinctissima is the most likely option?

Martin