NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



been gathering specimens whenever I had opportunity, and 

 studying Hfe histories whenever other more insistent work 

 would allow. In previous reports I have published more or 

 less complete life histories of a number of crane 

 flies with descriptions and figures of the imma- 

 ture stages. I wish to add at the present time 

 the description of another larva, and of two 

 new species, a preliminary list of the species of 

 New York State, a key to our genera, and a 

 study of the wing venation of the family. 



Crane flies are doubtless familiar to everyone, 

 although, perhaps, to some, under other names. 

 Figure 5 illustrates the form of the more 

 familiar species of the field and meadow. 

 " Daddy longlegs " they are called by some, but 

 this name is applied indiscriminately to almost 

 any other long legged insect. " Gallinippers " is 

 perhaps a local name, heard more commonly 

 westward than within this State. Time wa?3 

 (and that recently too) when marvelous tales 

 of the biting powers of bottom land mosquitos 

 were proved by reference to the size of the 

 *■ gallinippers " that could be pointed out in the 

 infested districts ; but that was before the recent 

 awakening in the study of mosquitos had made 

 everybody able to distinguish them from crane 

 flies. The smaller crane flies are, indeed, mos- 

 quitolike in form, but easily distinguished by 

 their structure. Certain adult crane flies are 

 provided with a long beak but it is apparently 

 not used for biting. None are harmful to man 

 in the adult stage. 



Economic importance. As larvae a consider- 

 able proportion of the group lives in the water ; 

 many live in wet soil and mud ; some live in 

 meadows and pastures ; and a few live in wood. 

 It is in the two last named groups that are found 

 the species that are injurious to man's interests. 



The larvae of the meadow inhabiting species 

 are known as " leather jackets " or " meadow maggots." They bur- 

 row in the soil and destroy the roots of grasses, and when they 



^.^=;^i*=^^. 



F g. 7 Pupae of T i p- 

 ulaflavicans. (Re- 

 print from N. Y. State 

 Mus. Bui. 68) 



