Chionea alexandriana is a species of snow fly (chionea) in the family Limoniidae.[1][2][3][4][5] The species is common in the western mountains of North America, including Alberta, British Columbia, Washington State, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Utah, and California.[1] J.A. Chapman (1954), working in Montana, found them to be most abundant in snow fields at 3600-7000 feet elevation from November to April at temperatures ranging from 21-32 degrees F.[6][1]
| Chionea alexandriana | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Diptera |
| Family: | Limoniidae |
| Genus: | Chionea |
| Species: | C. alexandriana
|
| Binomial name | |
| Chionea alexandriana Garrett, 1922
| |
Chionea alexandriana adults are 4-8 mm. Based on their morphology and range they are thought to be most closely related to the snow fly species Chionea nigra, jellisoni, excavata and lyrata. They are distinguished from other species by their dark grayish brown heads, light brown to brown bodies, and dorsal midline stripe. Chionea alexandriana antennae are shorter than most other snow fly species, with only three to four flagellomeres.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Byers, G.W. (1983). The crane fly genus Chionea in North America. Univ. of Kansas Science Bulletin 52(6):59-195.
- ^ "Chionea alexandriana Report". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
- ^ "Chionea alexandriana". GBIF. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
- ^ "Chionea alexandriana species Information". BugGuide.net. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
- ^ Oosterbroek, Pjotr (2018). "Catalogue of the Craneflies of the World". Retrieved 2019-07-02.
- ^ Chapman, John A. (1954). "Observations on Snow Insects in Western Montana". The Canadian Entomologist. 86 (8): 357–363. doi:10.4039/Ent86357-8. ISSN 1918-3240. S2CID 85060310.