Interactions        

Phantom Crane Flies have a very interesting way of navigating around.  They like to hide under shady areas and fly very low, just above the ground (Insects of West Virginia 2009).  This makes it difficult for their predators to spot them.  It is even harder to see them when they are in flight.  Their thin long legs have black and white bands, so when they are in the air flying, only white spots would be seen.  They would appear when they fly through lighter areas and then disappear in darker areas making them look like a "phantom" (Phantom Midges and Phantom Crane Flies 2005).  As mentioned in the classification page, this is how they earned their name.  Most often, they are found to be holding onto a stem or the edge of a leaf with some of their legs hanging free in the air as shown in the picture on the left. 

 You can view a short video clip of how they fly and interact with each other by clicking on the following web address: http://youtu.be/JeeJ2sd4K4M.

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