Nephrotoma antennata

Appearance

The adult crane fly has a slender body and stilt-like legs that are deciduous, easily coming off the body. The wingspan is generally about 1 to 6.5 centimeters. The antennae have up to 39 segments. It is also characterized by a V-shaped suture on the back of the thorax and by its wing venation. The rostrum is long; in some species it is as long as the head and thorax together.
Nephrotoma species have a lustrous body, which is yellow with black or brown stripes and spots. If the body is black there are coloured bands on the abdomen. The prescutum has three stripes. The proboscis (rostrum) is short and the antennae are verticillate. Sc2 fuses with radial vein R slightly distal to the base of the radial sector vein Rs an this is not longer than mcu. m1 is sessile, only rarely short and petiolate. mcu is located before the base of the discal cell. Tergite 9 of male has microscopic black streaks at the apex.

Naming

Wiedemann, 1820

Distribution

South Africa

Habitat

Nephrotoma are found in deciduous and mixed forests, shrubland and moist meadows.

The larvae live in soil and are sometimes harmful to agricultural crops and ornamental plants.

Reproduction

The adult female usually contains mature eggs as she emerges from her pupa, and often mates immediately if a male is available. Males also search for females by walking or flying. Copulation takes a few minutes to hours and may be accomplished in flight. Adults have a life span of 10 to 15 days.The female immediately oviposits, usually in wet soil or mats of algae. Some lay eggs on the surface of a water body or in dry soils, and some reportedly simply drop them in flight. Most crane fly eggs are black in color. They often have a filament, which may help anchor the egg in wet or aquatic environments.

Crane fly larvae (leatherjackets) have been observed in many habitat types on dry land and in water, including marine, brackish, and fresh water. They are cylindrical in shape but taper toward the front end, and the head capsule is often retracted into the thorax. The abdomen may be smooth, lined with hairs, or studded with projections or welt-like spots. There may be projections around the spiracles. Larvae may eat algae, microflora, and living or decomposing plant matter, including wood. Some are predatory.