Spotted Cranefly - Nephrotoma appendiculata

Length 13 to 15 mm. Spotted Craneflies have a yellow body with a broad dark stripe on the dorsal surface of the abdomen, and a series of black stripes on the thorax. There is a black horseshoe mark on the side of the thorax between the wing base and the haltere. The wing stigma is usually pale but can be dark.

Nephrotoma flavescens is very similar but has thinner black stripes along the top of the abdomen which are usually broken.

Rough grassland. Can be attracted to light.

April to July. It is by far the commonest tiger cranefly in April and May, with peak numbers in May.

Adults feed on umbellifers such as Cow Parsley. Larvae feed on the roots of grasses.

Common and widespread in Britain.

Fairly frequent in Leicestershire and Rutland.