Handsome Flightless Snow Cranefly

Handsome Flightless Snow Cranefly

Handsome Flightless Snow Cranefly

My flightless craneflies mating again this morning!  Dudes and dudettes, I am getting close to having alive in study, flightless snow craneflies for a longer time then in published studies.  IF this is your first view of these, Please see the former posts for more information- search “Chionea” upper right. This is fun stuff to a scientist geek.  Chironea scita (“scita” means “handsome”) is one of THE most bizarre animals I have seen in over 20 years.  They still remain active at temperatures near 25 degrees in a freezer, and also mate regularly at 32 degrees.  They can maintain high speed on the trot.  This creature is a TRUE EXTREMOPHILE.  It isn’t a creature just happenstance adapted to take the cold.  It thrives in the cold.  It has feet particularly adapted to life on ice and snow- and it can maneuver its body like a kids transformer toy into bizarre shapes.  I am getting set- and am crazy to do so- adding something ELSE!@ to my plate!- STUDY these things as long as I can.  I am dying to find out more about their life cycle which is almost totally unknown.  Albeit a few researchers, early 1900′s, a great paper in 1983 by Byers- cover a lot of anatomy and above ground things (short glimpses).   But most of the behavior and physiology is unknown.  Food of larvae- unknown.  Egg laying sites- unknown.  Well you get it.  This thrill of discovery is what naturalists and scientists really love.  I repeat it often, but will often.  I never know which student, person, friend will read which post, and understand.  There’s people out there that follow this site that know what I mean exactly.  And there are some that I will hopefully inspire.  This evolutionary amazement, from a long primitive lineage- has perfected things that would be impossible for vertebrates.  And its happening right outside my door.  The handsome flightless cranefly is a marvel of long term perfection.  I picture it living at the forefront of glaciers time and time again- euphemistically laughing at the animals that demised at the doors of ice.  While I probably am exaggerating that part- I wouldn’t doubt that they were the last to leave when things got tough.  They could have lived at the forefront of glacial lands- I’m trying to come up with some ideas regarding the pressures that would have kept them snow bound- and even speciate while they were snow bound.  The total lack of wing muscles might have a lot to do with it- especially if they have no genes for wings at all.  Its at least possible.  The muscles aren’t even there.  They may be snow creatures as the result of the exact things that lead them down this path in the first place.  Perfectly adapting the freezing cold.   I can’t clearly understand why losing the ability of flight was a big winner for them.  But it was.  I’m reading more tonight.  Peace out.  Fly boy.