Nephrotoma appendiculata, the spotted crane fly, is a species of crane fly.Oosterbroek P. CCW: Catalogue of Craneflies of the World.BioLib
Subspecies Subspecies include:Bisby F.A., Roskov Y.R., Orrell T.M., Nicolson D., Paglinawan L.E., Bailly N., Kirk P.M., Bourgoin T., Baillargeon G., Ouvrard D. Catalogue of life Nephrotoma appendiculata appendiculata (Pierre, 1919) (Northwestern Europe and the Near East) Nephrotoma appendiculata pertenua Oosterbroek, 1978 (Southwestern Europe and North Africa)
Distribution This species is present in most of Europe, in North Africa and in the Near East.Fauna europaea Some in Southern Alberta Canada.
Habitat These crane flies inhabit woodland edges, gardens, fields, rough grassland, and farmland.
Description Nephrotoma appendiculata has a wingspan of about , and a body length of .Nature SpotCommanster The body is yellow with a few short, black stripes on the thorax, a black horseshoe mark on the side and a broad dark stripe on each section of the abdomen. The wings have a thin, yellow line near the leading edge. The wing stigma is usually pale, but sometimes it is dark.
This species is rather similar to Nephrotoma flavescens.
Biology Adults can be seen from April to August. The larvae, known as "leatherjackets", feed on the roots of grasses, while the adults feed on umbellifers such as cow parsley.
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