![]() ![]() Crane flies have one main pair of wings and a vestigial second set of wings called haltares. Since I love to dissect names (it's less messy than dissecting the critters themselves), Diptera means "two winged" (from the Greek di = two, and ptera = wings). Still, all other families of crane flies (and humans, thank goodness!) have glabrous eyes, which is scientist-speak for "hairless."Ĭrane flies are in the order Diptera, along with house flies, fruit flies, mosquitoes, gnats, midges, and 240,000 other species. Hairy eyeballs? Ew! Well, actually, if you have compound eyes like a fly, then there are spaces in between the eye facets where short, erect hairs can grow without too much trouble. ![]() The genus, Pedicia, references the crane fly's family, Pediciidae, which is commonly referred to as the "hairy-eyed crane flies." The pattern on the Giant Easter Crane Fly's abdomen certainly fits that description. ![]() The specific epithet, albivitta, comes from the Latin "albus" (white) + "vitta" (a band a stripe of color). The scientific name of the species in my kitchen, Pedicia albivitta, is a little more accurate. How it applies to a crane fly is a question we need to ask a Mainer.) (Gollywhopper!? Apparently, in Maine it is another name for a turkey's beard, as well as a giant, edible, folklore chicken. It seems that lots of people have incorrect notions about crane flies, because most of their common names – mosquito hawk, mosquito wolf, skeeter eater, and gollywhopper – have nothing to do with their actual biology. ![]()
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