An overview of the crane flies of the West Indies (Diptera: Limoniidae & Tipulidae)

Abstract

For the first time, an overview is presented of the species of crane flies (Limoniidae and Tipulidae) known from the West Indies, with their distributions in the area that comprise the islands of the Caribbean Sea between the United States, the Isthmus of Panama, and South America. Of the 258 species of crane flies known from the West Indies, 206 are endemic to the West Indies (80%) and 167 (65%) are known from only one island. Records are available for 22 islands, noting that there are islands where crane flies certainly do occur, but which have remained so far without records. Although the Greater Antilles show relatively large numbers of species on each island, there is a high probability of interesting new discoveries because of the size and habitat diversity of these islands. The Lesser Antilles have some islands that are well researched, but the fauna of most islands is incompletely known at best, and completely unknown for some. In addition to an updated list of the known species, we include several new records, distribution tables, and images of wings for the genera/subgenera. We also offer the island references which pertain to each species, and present a list of the regional keys that are available for species identification.