There is one family of flies found in the UK that don\u2019t hide away in the winter shadows. Glistening in the crisp, low sunshine on a clear winters day you will see winter gnats dancing around like nocturnal will\u2019o-the-wisps.<\/p>\n

Bog hoverfly: its diet, habitat and why its endangered<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
Noble chafer guide: how to identify, where they\u2019re found and why they are rare<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
Bee flies: what they are and some common bee fly species<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
How to identify beetles<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>
<\/p><\/div> <\/section>
What are winter gnats?<\/h2>\n
Winter gnats or winter craneflies are the long legged, swarm forming, flies of the cold.<\/p>\n
This is a small family, formally called Trichoceridae, with only 10 species occurring in the UK from just two genera. However British craneflies are now included in this family and there is thought that maybe there is up to 14 species. Even in the UK there are species still to be described or reassessed and new discoveries to be had. There are only 160 species that have been described globally, a not unexpected number given how tough it is to live in the adverse conditions of winter.<\/p>\n
The different UK species of winter gnats (Trichoceridae<\/em>)<\/h2>\n
Cladoneura hirtipennis<\/em><\/li>\n
Trichocera (saltrichocera) annulata<\/em><\/li>\n
Trichocera (saltrichocera) maculipennis<\/em><\/li>\n
Trichocera (saltrichocera) parva<\/em><\/li>\n
Trichocera (saltrichocera) regelationis<\/em><\/li>\n
Trichocera (saltrichocera) rufescens<\/em><\/li>\n
Trichocera (saltrichocera) rufulenta<\/em><\/li>\n
Trichocera (saltrichocera) saltator<\/em><\/li>\n
Trichocera (saltrichocera) hiemalis<\/em><\/li>\n
Trichocera (saltrichocera) major<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>
They very much resemble delicate craneflies, but these species have the advantage of having ocelli. These are the very small simple \u2018eyes\u2019 (ocelli means simple eyes) on the apex of the head that very sensitive to light, presumably being very helpful in the dark days of winter.<\/p>\n
Another distinctive feature are the groups of bristles that occur across the head (you can see the yellow tufts in the picture below). The females are generally larger than the males, a rather common phenomenon as she has to have enough reserves to produce eggs, but the average body length is fairly small, reaching lengths of just 5 to 8mm.<\/p>\n
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