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--Boundary_(ID_/4cRdrrfCVxCfbkQBmPFBQ) Content-type: text/plain; CHARSET=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT WAY TO GO, JEAN! in finding the old e-mail from Oct. 2000 -- cheers from Jim in Wolfville. NOV. 3, 2009 - In east Wolfville, in the garden of Brenda & Bill Thexton, Bob Thexton noticed a small swarm of flies that was moving up and down in a dancing movement, just a metre or so above the ground. This is probably a swarm of male flies, perhaps winter crane flies?, that is dancing and buzzing to attract females of the same species. I don't recall reports of these over the past couple of winters, but Jean Timpa in Wolfville used to report these often in late autumn or spring, and I think Andrew Hebda? eventually identified to that family a fly that was captured by someone and submitted. But I think we still need someone to have an insect net at the right time and place to capture some of the dancing flies and get them identified for sure. The flies in question are small, and are difficult to observe as they fly; they are smallish and Bob said these had long legs (like real crane flies). [re WINTER CRANE FLIES: Jean Timpa found the e-mail from Fred Scott back on Oct. 27, 2000 -- Fred and Andrew Hebda identified the flies collected by Jean as WINTER CRANE FLIES, family Trichoceridae, genus and species Trichocera brumalis .][That e-mail from Fred is just below.] [Date sent: Fri, 27 Oct 2000 21:36:09 -0300 From: fwscott@ns.sympatico.ca (Fred Scott) To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca Subject: Re: ballet of the flies Send reply to: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca Hello all who have been wondering about the dancing flies. Jean Timpa brought in two of the flies to my office at Acadia yesterday and I took them in to the NSMNH this morning. A check of the collection quickly revealed an exact match, which Andrew Hebda and I confirmed in Borror and Dillon and the Manual of Nearctic Diptera. They are Winter Crane Flies, family Trichoceridae, and the species is _Trichocera brumalis_ Fitch. Interestingly, there are some specimens in the quite long series of the species that were collected as late as 24 December. The family is best known for its outdoor swarming behaviour in early spring and late fall and the swarms are mostly males (as were the two specimens Jean gave me), suggesting that the swarms have a mating function. Some species of the genus also occur in caves and sometime cellars. Trichocerids differ from the true craneflies (Tipulidae) principally in having two tiny ocelli between the compound eyes (craneflies have no ocelli), and in being generally smaller, and usually having unmarked wings. The larvae of most species feed on decaying vegetation in moist habitats. Fred W. Scott 6250 Allan St. Halifax NS Canada B3L 1G9 (902) 422-8239 AND Department of Biology Acadia University Wolfville NS Canada B0P 1X0 (902) 585-1720 phone (902) 585-1059 fax] --Boundary_(ID_/4cRdrrfCVxCfbkQBmPFBQ) Content-type: text/html; CHARSET=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable <html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; = -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><b>WAY TO GO, = JEAN! in finding the old e-mail from Oct. 2000 -- cheers from Jim in = Wolfville.</b></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><b><br></b></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: = 12.0px Helvetica"><b>NOV. 3, 2009</b> - In east Wolfville, in the = garden of Brenda & Bill Thexton, Bob Thexton noticed a small swarm = of flies that was moving up and down in a dancing movement, just a metre = or so above the ground. This is probably a swarm of male flies, = perhaps <b>winter crane flies?</b>, that is dancing and buzzing to = attract females of the same species. I don't recall reports of = these over the past couple of winters, but Jean Timpa in Wolfville used = to report these often in late autumn or spring, and I think Andrew = Hebda? eventually identified to that family a fly that was captured by = someone and submitted. But I think we still need someone to have = an insect net at the right time and place to capture some of the dancing = flies and get them identified for sure. The flies in question are = small, and are difficult to observe as they fly; they are smallish and = Bob said these had long legs (like real crane flies).</font></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; = min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">[re = <b>WINTER CRANE FLIES</b>: Jean Timpa found the e-mail from Fred Scott = back on Oct. 27, 2000 -- Fred and Andrew Hebda identified the flies = collected by Jean as WINTER CRANE FLIES, family Trichoceridae, genus and = species <i>Trichocera brumalis </i>.][That e-mail from Fred is just = below.]</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal = 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: = 12.0px Helvetica">[Date sent: <span = class=3D"Apple-tab-span" style=3D"white-space:pre"> </span>Fri, 27 = Oct 2000 21:36:09 -0300</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">From: = <span class=3D"Apple-tab-span" = style=3D"white-space:pre"> </span><a = href=3D"mailto:fwscott@ns.sympatico.ca">fwscott@ns.sympatico.ca</a> = (Fred Scott)</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: = 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">To: = <span class=3D"Apple-tab-span" = style=3D"white-space:pre"> </span><a = href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</a></font>= </div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: = 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">Subject: = <span class=3D"Apple-tab-span" style=3D"white-space:pre"> = </span>Re: ballet of the flies</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: = 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">Send = reply to: <span class=3D"Apple-tab-span" style=3D"white-space:pre"> = </span><a = href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</a></font>= </div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: = 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; = min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">Hello all = who have been wondering about the dancing flies.</font></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; = min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">Jean = Timpa brought in two of the flies to my office at Acadia = yesterday</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">and I took them in to the = NSMNH this morning. A check of the collection</font></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: = 12.0px Helvetica">quickly revealed an exact match, which Andrew Hebda = and I confirmed in</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">Borror = and Dillon and the Manual of Nearctic Diptera.</font></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; = min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">They are = Winter Crane Flies, family Trichoceridae, and the species = is</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">_Trichocera brumalis_ Fitch. = Interestingly, there are some specimens in</font></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: = 12.0px Helvetica">the quite long series of the species that were = collected as late as 24</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">December. = The family is best known for its outdoor swarming behaviour = in</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">early spring and late fall = and the swarms are mostly males (as were the</font></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: = 12.0px Helvetica">two specimens Jean gave me), suggesting that the = swarms have a mating</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">function. = Some species of the genus also occur in caves and = sometime</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">cellars.</font></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; = min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px = Helvetica">Trichocerids differ from the true craneflies (Tipulidae) = principally in</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: = 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">having two tiny ocelli = between the compound eyes (craneflies have no</font></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: = 12.0px Helvetica">ocelli), and in being generally smaller, and usually = having unmarked</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: = 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">wings. The larvae of most = species feed on decaying vegetation in moist</font></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: = 12.0px Helvetica">habitats.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal = normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; = min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">Fred W. = Scott</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">6250 Allan = St.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">Halifax NS</font></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: = 12.0px Helvetica">Canada B3L 1G9</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: = 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">(902) = 422-8239</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal = 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: = 12.0px Helvetica">AND</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal = normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: = 12.0px Helvetica">Department of Biology</font></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: = 12.0px Helvetica">Acadia University</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: = 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">Wolfville = NS</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">Canada</font></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: = 12.0px Helvetica">B0P 1X0</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">(902) = 585-1720 phone</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: = 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">(902) 585-1059 = fax]</font></div><div><br></div> </body></html>= --Boundary_(ID_/4cRdrrfCVxCfbkQBmPFBQ)--
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