Chionea
Encyclopedia
Chionea is a genus of wingless limoniid
crane flies
. It consists of two subgenera, the holarctic
Chionea and palaearctic Sphaeconophilus. About 40 species are currently recognized in the northern hemisphere, but there are probably several undescribed species. They are commonly called snow flies.
in their hemolymph
, preventing them from freezing.http://taos-telecommunity.org/EPOW/EPOW-Archive/archive_2005/EPOW-051010.htm
Up to 200 eggs have been found in female snow flies, which are laid singly (Schrock, 1992). The larvae occur under decaying leaves in wooded regions (Marchand, 1917). At least the larvae of some species seem to feed on feces in rodent
burrows (Schrock, 1992).
Adults seem to actively seek out the coldest place they can find and drink water by pressing their proboscis
against the snow (Marchand, 1917), but are not known to feed. Adult snow flies live for up to two months. They can walk at a speed of about 1,30 m per minute, and at least males have been observed to leap, without being provoked (Schrock, 1992).
Male C. alexandriana are about seven millimeters long.
They are easiest found on snowbanks in the afternoon, in areas that are to some extent forested. Some species have been found to be abundant on the floor of caves (Schrock, 1992).
The winglessness of the genus is probably attributable to the fact that at sub-freezing temperatures, it is very hard to generate enough energy for maintaining flight muscles. Also, the space normally taken by flight muscles is used to store eggs. However, the halteres have not been reduced and are innervated, thus probably serving as sensory organs (Schrock, 1992).
.http://www.emporia.edu/ksn/v38n2-may1992/slideshow/pages/i_gif.htm This requires the male copulatory organs to be inverted 180 degrees (Schrock, 1992).
) have been shown to feed on them.
Because the cysticercoid
form of a tapeworm species has been found in two out of three C. stoneana specimens in eastern Kansas, they also have to be eaten by mice, which are the tapeworm's host. The snow fly larvae likely take up these tapeworms via mouse feces (Schrock, 1992).
, similar to Rhabditis, is sometimes found in a ring around the neck of adults. It has been speculated that the female nematode lays this ring around the fly's neck when it emerges from the pupa
and cannot yet move properly. Nematode offspring will develop inside this ring and is dispersed in this way. (Schrock, 1992).
Subgenus Chionea (Holarctic
)
, USA south to Oregon
, Idaho
) Chionea alexandriana Garrett, 1922 (Canada, USA to California
, Utah
) Chionea araneoides Dalman, 1816 (Europe: Sweden to Italy, Romania and Russia)
Chionea carolus Byers, 1979 (USA: California, Nevada
) Chionea crassipes Boheman, 1846
, Russia to Japan
) Chionea crassipes magadanensis Narchuk, 1998 (Russia: Magadan Oblast
) Chionea durbini Byers, 1983 (USA: California)
Chionea excavata Byers, 1983 (USA: California, Nevada)
Chionea hybrida Byers, 1983 (USA: Idaho, Utah)
Chionea jellisoni Byers, 1983 (USA: Montana
, Idaho, Utah) Chionea jenniferae (Byers, 1995) (USA: California)
Chionea kanenoi Sasakawa, 1986 (Japan
: Honshū
) Chionea lyrata Byers, 1983 (USA: California)
Chionea macnabeana Alexander, 1947 (Canada, USA to Washington, Oregon)
Chionea mirabilis Vanin, 2008 (Korea
) Chionea nigra Byers, 1983 (USA: Utah, Colorado
) Chionea nipponica Alexander, 1932 (Russia:Primorsky Krai
, Japan) Chionea nivicola Doane, 1900 (USA: Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana)
Chionea obtusa Byers, 1983 (Canada, USA to Oregon, Idaho)
Chionea pusilla Savchenko, 1983 (Russia: Primorsky Krai)
Chionea racovitzai Burghele-Balacesco, 1969 (Romania)
Chionea reclusa Byers, 1995 (USA: Illinois
) Chionea scita Walker, 1848 (Canada, USA to Kentucky
, Tennessee
and Georgia
) Chionea stoneana Alexander, 1940 (USA: Minnesota to Indiana, south to Kansas
, Oklahoma
and Missouri
) Chionea valga Harris, 1841 (Canada, USA south to Minnesota, Wisconsin
, Tennessee, North Carolina
and Virginia
) Chionea wilsoni Byers, 1983 (USA: Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina)
Subgenus Sphaeconophilus (Palaearctic)
Limoniidae
Limoniidae is a family of flies closely related to the crane flies Tipulidae although they can usually be distinguished by the way the wings are held at rest. Limoniids usually hold/fold the wings along the back of the body whereas tipulids usually hold them out at right angles. Members of the...
crane flies
Crane fly
A crane fly is an insect in the family Tipulidae. Adults are very slender, long-legged flies that may vary in length from though tropical species may exceed to ....
. It consists of two subgenera, the holarctic
Holarctic
The Holarctic ecozone refers to the habitats found throughout the northern continents of the world as a whole. This region is divided into the Palearctic, consisting of Northern Africa and all of Eurasia, with the exception of Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent, and the Nearctic,...
Chionea and palaearctic Sphaeconophilus. About 40 species are currently recognized in the northern hemisphere, but there are probably several undescribed species. They are commonly called snow flies.
Description
Adults occur during winter, where they can be observed walking over snow. They produce glycerolGlycerol
Glycerol is a simple polyol compound. It is a colorless, odorless, viscous liquid that is widely used in pharmaceutical formulations. Glycerol has three hydroxyl groups that are responsible for its solubility in water and its hygroscopic nature. The glycerol backbone is central to all lipids...
in their hemolymph
Hemolymph
Hemolymph, or haemolymph, is a fluid in the circulatory system of some arthropods and is analogous to the fluids and cells making up both blood and interstitial fluid in vertebrates such as birds and mammals...
, preventing them from freezing.http://taos-telecommunity.org/EPOW/EPOW-Archive/archive_2005/EPOW-051010.htm
Up to 200 eggs have been found in female snow flies, which are laid singly (Schrock, 1992). The larvae occur under decaying leaves in wooded regions (Marchand, 1917). At least the larvae of some species seem to feed on feces in rodent
Rodent
Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing....
burrows (Schrock, 1992).
Adults seem to actively seek out the coldest place they can find and drink water by pressing their proboscis
Proboscis
A proboscis is an elongated appendage from the head of an animal, either a vertebrate or an invertebrate. In simpler terms, a proboscis is the straw-like mouth found in several varieties of species.-Etymology:...
against the snow (Marchand, 1917), but are not known to feed. Adult snow flies live for up to two months. They can walk at a speed of about 1,30 m per minute, and at least males have been observed to leap, without being provoked (Schrock, 1992).
Male C. alexandriana are about seven millimeters long.
They are easiest found on snowbanks in the afternoon, in areas that are to some extent forested. Some species have been found to be abundant on the floor of caves (Schrock, 1992).
The winglessness of the genus is probably attributable to the fact that at sub-freezing temperatures, it is very hard to generate enough energy for maintaining flight muscles. Also, the space normally taken by flight muscles is used to store eggs. However, the halteres have not been reduced and are innervated, thus probably serving as sensory organs (Schrock, 1992).
Reproduction
Mating is indiscriminate (probably because it is very hard to find a specimen of the other sex for them) and takes 30 to 70 minutes. While winged crane flies face in opposite directions, snow flies position themselves similar to many beetlesDoggy style
Doggy style is a group of sex positions in which the receiving partner crouches on all fours with the legs slightly apart...
.http://www.emporia.edu/ksn/v38n2-may1992/slideshow/pages/i_gif.htm This requires the male copulatory organs to be inverted 180 degrees (Schrock, 1992).
Predators
One of the reasons why adults emerge in winter seems to be the absence of predators. However, "rock crickets" (GrylloblattidaeGrylloblattidae
Grylloblattidae is a family of extremophile and wingless insects that live in the cold on top of mountains. It belongs, as Mantophasmatidae, to the order of Notoptera.-Overview:...
) have been shown to feed on them.
Because the cysticercoid
Cysticercoid
A cysticercoid is the larval stage of certain tapeworms, similar in appearance to a cysticercus, but having the scolex filling completely the enclosing cyst. In tapeworm infestations, cysticercoids can be seen in free form as well as enclosed by cysts in biological tissues such as the intestinal...
form of a tapeworm species has been found in two out of three C. stoneana specimens in eastern Kansas, they also have to be eaten by mice, which are the tapeworm's host. The snow fly larvae likely take up these tapeworms via mouse feces (Schrock, 1992).
Parasites
A species of nematodeNematode
The nematodes or roundworms are the most diverse phylum of pseudocoelomates, and one of the most diverse of all animals. Nematode species are very difficult to distinguish; over 28,000 have been described, of which over 16,000 are parasitic. It has been estimated that the total number of nematode...
, similar to Rhabditis, is sometimes found in a ring around the neck of adults. It has been speculated that the female nematode lays this ring around the fly's neck when it emerges from the pupa
Pupa
A pupa is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation. The pupal stage is found only in holometabolous insects, those that undergo a complete metamorphosis, going through four life stages; embryo, larva, pupa and imago...
and cannot yet move properly. Nematode offspring will develop inside this ring and is dispersed in this way. (Schrock, 1992).
Species
- This list was adapted from the Catalogue of the Craneflies of the World (January 2007).
Subgenus Chionea (Holarctic
Holarctic
The Holarctic ecozone refers to the habitats found throughout the northern continents of the world as a whole. This region is divided into the Palearctic, consisting of Northern Africa and all of Eurasia, with the exception of Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent, and the Nearctic,...
)
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, USA south to Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
)
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
)
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
)
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
, Russia to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
)
Magadan Oblast
Magadan Oblast is a federal subject of Russia in the Far Eastern Federal District. Its administrative center is the city of Magadan....
)
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
, Idaho, Utah)
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
: Honshū
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
)
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
)
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
)
Primorsky Krai
Primorsky Krai , informally known as Primorye , is a federal subject of Russia . Primorsky means "maritime" in Russian, hence the region is sometimes referred to as Maritime Province or Maritime Territory. Its administrative center is in the city of Vladivostok...
, Japan)
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
)
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
and Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
)
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
and Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
)
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, Tennessee, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
and Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
)
Subgenus Sphaeconophilus (Palaearctic)
- Chionea alpina Bezzi, 1908 (Europe: FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
to SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
to MontenegroMontenegroMontenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
) - Chionea ancae (Menier and Matile, 1976) (France)
- Chionea arverna (Brunhes, 1986) (France: Massif CentralMassif CentralThe Massif Central is an elevated region in south-central France, consisting of mountains and plateaux....
) - Chionea austriaca (Christian, 1980) (AustriaAustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
) - Chionea belgica (Becker, 1912) (Europe: BelgiumBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, DenmarkDenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Germany, HungaryHungaryHungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, SwitzerlandSwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
) - Chionea besucheti (Bourne, 1979) (Switzerland)
- Chionea botosaneanui (Burghele-Balacesco, 1969) (Czech RepublicCzech RepublicThe Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, RomaniaRomaniaRomania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, SlovakiaSlovakiaThe Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
) - Chionea catalonica (Bourne, 1979) (Spain: central PyreneesPyreneesThe Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
) - Chionea jurassica (Bourne, 1979) (France)
- Chionea lutescens
- Chionea lutescens lutescens Lundstrom, 1907 (Europe: SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
to PortugalPortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, UkraineUkraineUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
) - Chionea lutescens stelviana Suss, 1982 (ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
: Lombardia)
- Chionea lutescens lutescens Lundstrom, 1907 (Europe: Sweden
- Chionea pyrenaea (Bourne, 1981) (France: Pyrenees)
Further reading
- Byers, G.W. (1983). The crane fly genus Chionea in North America. Univ. of Kansas Science Bulletin 52(6):59-195.
