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Regarding his mating crane flies (yes), Angus also wrote, "...Note the red on the legs and parts of the body." The red items are clearly MITES, and could be either water mites (since many crane fly larvae are semi-aquatic) or terrestrial mites, and probably could be either larvae, nymphs, or even adults? of the mites, which require specialists for identification, I believe. Some of the mites seen on various insects are just hitch-hikers, but some of them in larval or nymph stages are parasites, I believe. Cheers from Jim in Wolfville ---------- From: Angus MacLean <angusmcl@ns.sympatico.ca> Reply-To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca Date: Tue, 29 May 2007 17:33:04 -0300 To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Spital Road Pit Thanks Steve. They are indeed Crane Flies, genus Nephrotoma. A similar photo to mine is at : http://bugguide.net/node/view/105327/bgimage Angus At 04:46 PM 5/29/2007, you wrote: >Angus: Focus is a bit off, but they look more like mating >craneflies (Tipulidae, Diptera). Look for club-shaped halteres in >place of the second pair of wings possessed by most other insects. >Steve > >On 29-May-07, at 4:10 PM, Angus MacLean wrote: > >>This morning I checked out an area in one of my Atlas Squares >>called Spital Road Pit (sw edge of Coldbrook). Despite being a >>working pit (at times) it proved last summer to have quite a >>variety of birdlife (along with other creatures). >> >>- There were 5 Alder Flycatchers singing. I recall there were a few >>more last summer. >>- A Bank Swallow colony has increased dramatically. Last summer >>there were ~20 nestholes. Today I counted 26 in one gravel face & >>48 in another. Obviously this is a new colony. Last summer I >>thought they had little chance since the gravel faces they were >>nesting in, were being worked on intermittently. However this year >>they are nesting much higher so I presume they are safe from the >>front end loader. >>- Spotted Sandpipers nested here in 2006 but no sign of them this year. >>- Red-eyed Vireo, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Redstart, Least >>Flycatcher & many other species were heard. >>- I heard one short high-pitched sound I was confused by. It turned >>out to be a 2nd year male Redstart. It's a standing joke with the >>group I usually bird with that any confusing bird song can be >>ticked as a Redstart!! >> >>- I was intrigued by something oddly shaped that "floated" by me a >>few times. It finally landed and I was able to get a photo.The >>shape and pattern of their bodies suggests (a mating pair of) >>stoneflies & I presume, because of their size would be >>"Taeniopterygid broadbacks". However the extremely long legs would >>suggest something else. Note the red on the legs and parts of the body. Help! >> >>http://www.flickr.com/photos/58321572@N00/520342445/ >> >>Angus
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