Details for Helius (Helius) hispanicus

Name: Helius (Helius) hispanicus Lackschewitz, 1928 Publication: Annln Naturh. Mus. Wien 42: 242 (as Helius) Status: Recognized taxon. Classification: Family Limoniidae Subfamily Limoniinae Keys: Stubbs and Kramer, 2016h; Stubbs, 2021 (British craneflies); Quindroit, 2022c (European Helius, in French and English); Solodkii and Pilipenko, 2025 (Helius Russia) Variant spelling(s): hispanica habitus male habitus male habitus female habitus female habitus female plus 12 more images of body part(s), body part(s), hypopygium, hypopygium, hypopygium, ovipositor, wing, wing, habitat, habitat, habitat and habitat. Distribution: France, Great Britain, Portugal, Spain; Russia: North Caucasus; Morocco; Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkey (Asiatic part: Mugla), Cyprus, Iran. Note: see the manual for abbreviations: present-day Russia. Region(s): Westpalaearctic General note: For distribution in Great Britain and Spain see Stubbs, 1992b, 2021, and citations below. For Portugal check Oosterbroek et al., 2020, and citations below. For Morocco check Kettani and Oosterbroek, 2022a, and citations below. For France check Quindroit, 2022c, and citations below. Map: Koc, 2004 (Mugla); Quindroit, 2022c (France) Biology: Stubbs, 1992b (habitat). Figure references: Habitus: Cunningham, 2017 (female); Quindroit, 2019 (male) Head: Quindroit, 2022c Wing: Quindroit, 2022c Hypopygium: Kramer, 2017b; Quindroit, 2022c Ovipositor: Quindroit, 2022c Miscellaneous Cunningham, 2017 (habitat); Kramer, 2017b (habitat) Citations on biology (mainly from 2000 onward): France Habitat. Quindroit, 2019: 11-12 (habitat descriptions in three departments in northwestern France) (in French). Biology. Quindroit, 2020a: 36, 41, 45-48 (annotated list with information on abundancy and habitat of the Tipuloidea of the Pays de la Loire regoin, distr) (in French). Habitat. Quindroit, 2022c: 343-350 (review of the five French species of Helius, loc(s) 6 departements, map) (in French). Great Britain Habitat. Howe et al., 2001: 137, 143, 146 (seepages at coastal eroding soft clay cliffs). Habitat. Boyce, 2002: 11, 28 (review of seepage invertebrates in England, found at stable coastal cliff seepages; see paper for details). Habitat. Stubbs, 2003: 83-85 (the only British locality is at the coast near the western (Devon) end of Axmouth-Lyme Regis NNR where open landslips dominate; in Europe this species is otherwise only known from Spain so its occurrence on a south facing landslip on the British south coast is of considerable biogeographic interest; the species is a flowing water specialist, in both rivulets from seepages and small streams flowing down the cliff from above; some herbage in the water appears to be relevant but whether optional or obligate is unclear; larvae have yet to be located but other members of the genus are aquatic; adult with a long proboscis so may drink (nectar at flowers?) but this has yet to be observed in Helius; the paper includes further details on habitat management and examples of good/bad practice). Habitat. Stubbs, 2008b: 4 (known from a cliff on the south coast, distr). Habitat. Cranston and Drake, 2010: 175 (Helius larvae can be found in marginal situations along flowing and standing waters [no species mentioned]). Habitat. Howe, 2010b: 281 (confined to freshwater seepages on coastal soft cliffs). Habitat. Cunningham, 2017: 16 (collected at the cliff seepages at Axmouth, Devon) (see also Kramer, 2017b). Habitat. Wolton, 2018b: 17 (larvae feed on green algae on tidal flats, the adults finding shelter in low fringing vegetation on the upper foreshore). Habitat. Wolton in litt., 2022: (This long snouted cranefly is known in the British Isles only from two or three seepages running down the soft coastal cliffs of the Axmouth to Lyme Regis Undercliffs, at Haven Cliffs close to Axmouth Harbour.  Two other Devon Special Species, Morris's Wainscot and the Broad-faced Burrow Bee, occur in the immediate vicinity, along with several other very rare invertebrates. The last records of the cranefly were of a male and female in june 2016.  The seepages it occupies were visited in august 2019 and appeared unchanged.  No particular threats were noted.  However, vigilance is required to ensure that no works such as cliff stabilization or recreational provision affect the fly's very particular habitat requirements). Morocco Habitat. Driauach and Belqat, 2016: 141 (loc(s) Rif Mts with list of habitats). Russia Habitat. Lantsov, 2020: 293 (North Caucasus: found in Dagestan, in the Samur liana forest). Habitat. Kolcsar et al., 2021b: 125 (near aquatic and aquatic plants along the stream). Spain Habitat. Stary, 2014b: 92 (collected at thermal spings, riverside forest). Habitat. Hancock and Hewitt, 2020: 45-49 (in the Cazorla Parque Natural, Jaen Province, Spain, in june 2019, an area of cliff face was seen covered with a butterwort, Pinguicula vallisneriifolia (Webb), the leaves of which had trapped large numbers of insects, including 19 species of craneflies; the effectiveness of the leaf glandular secretions in relation to immobilising different sizes of flies is discussed; see paper for details, habitat figs). Habitat. Hancock, 2020: 98 (collected attached to leaves of butterwort (Pinguicula vallisneriifolia Webb)) (see also Hancock and Hewitt, 2020). Turkey Biology. Koc, 2004: 99, 111, 116-118, 152 (habitat; phenology) (in Turkish). on characters and taxonomy (mainly from 2000 onward): France Key. Quindroit, 2022c: 343-350 (review of the five French species of Helius, key, figs) (in French, key also in English). Portugal Characters. Ferreira et al., 2021: 10 (barcoding based on material mentioned in Oosterbroek et al. 2020). on distribution (mainly from 2000 onward): Azerbaijan Distribution. Snegovaya, 2021: 1138 (checklist with details on distr in Azerbaijan). Cyprus First record. Stary and Oosterbroek, 2008: 14 (loc(s), distr). France First record. Quindroit, 2019: 11-12 (loc(s) Calvados (14), Maine-et-Loire (49) and Mayenne (53)). Distribution. Quindroit, 2020a: 36, 41, 45-48 (annotated list with information on abundancy and habitat of the Tipuloidea of the Pays de la Loire regoin, distr) (in French). Distribution. Quindroit, 2022a: 25-28 (additions to the annotated list of the Tipuloidea of Pays de la Loire as given in Quindroit, 2020a). Distribution. Quindroit, 2022c: 343-350 (review of the five French species of Helius, loc(s) 6 departements, map) (in French). Distribution. Quindroit and Racine, 2025: 360 (table specifying the presence in the five departments of the Pays de la Loire region). Great Britain Distribution. Howe et al., 2001: 137, 143, 146 (loc(s) Dorset). Distribution. Boyce, 2002: 11, 28 (review of seepage invertebrates in England, found at stable coastal cliff seepages; see paper for details). Distribution. Stubbs, 2003: 85 (distr). Distribution. Stubbs, 2008b: 4 (known from a cliff on the south coast, distr). Distribution. Howe, 2010b: 281 (only known from Haven Cliff in south Devon). Distribution. Conservation Officer, 2017: 13 (among the flies at risk of extinction by 2020 unless urgent action is taken). Distribution. Cunningham, 2017: 16 (collected at the cliff seepages at Axmouth, Devon) (see also Kramer, 2017b). Distribution. Wolton, 2018b: 17 (known from only six sites along the South and East Anglian coast; on major dune re-structuring works at one of these sites, Dawlish Warren National Nature Reserve in Devon). Distribution. Wolton, 2018b: 17 (one of the nine Diptera species for which Devon is of special importance). Distribution. Wolton in litt., 2022: (This long snouted cranefly is known in the British Isles only from two or three seepages running down the soft coastal cliffs of the Axmouth to Lyme Regis Undercliffs, at Haven Cliffs close to Axmouth Harbour.  Two other Devon Special Species, Morris's Wainscot and the Broad-faced Burrow Bee, occur in the immediate vicinity, along with several other very rare invertebrates. The last records of the cranefly were of a male and female in june 2016.  The seepages it occupies were visited in august 2019 and appeared unchanged.  No particular threats were noted.  However, vigilance is required to ensure that no works such as cliff stabilization or recreational provision affect the fly's very particular habitat requirements). Morocco First record. Stary and Oosterbroek, 2008: 14 (loc(s), distr). Distribution. Driauach et al., 2013: 189 (review Limoniidae records of Morocco, loc(s)). Distribution. Driauach and Belqat, 2016: 141 (loc(s) Rif Mts with list of habitats). Distribution. Kettani and Oosterbroek, 2022a: 27 (annotated checklist, with review loc(s) and/or references). Portugal First record. Stary, 2014b: 92 (loc(s) Faro). Distribution. Oosterbroek et al., 2020: 333 (loc(s) Setubal, also known from Faro, distr). Russia First record. Lantsov, 2020: 293 (North Caucasus: found in Dagestan, in the Samur liana forest). Distribution. Kolcsar et al., 2021b: 125 (North Caucasus: loc(s) of the Lantsov, 2020 record from Dagestan). Spain Distribution. Eiroa and Baez, 2002a: 55 (checklist). Distribution. Stary, 2014b: 92 (loc(s) Granada, Malaga). Distribution. Hancock and Hewitt, 2020: 45-49 (in the Cazorla Parque Natural, Jaen Province, Spain, in june 2019, an area of cliff face was seen covered with a butterwort, Pinguicula vallisneriifolia (Webb), the leaves of which had trapped large numbers of insects, including 19 species of craneflies; the effectiveness of the leaf glandular secretions in relation to immobilising different sizes of flies is discussed; see paper for details, habitat figs). Distribution. Hancock, 2020: 98 (loc(s) Jaen, Cazorla National Park). Turkey First record. Koc, 2004: 99, 111, 116-118, 152 (loc(s), distr, map) (in Turkish). Distribution. Ozgul et al., 2009: 64 (survey provinces SW Turkey). on flight period (mainly from 2000 onward): Cyprus Stary and Oosterbroek, 2008: month(s): 8. France Quindroit, 2019: month(s): 5-7. Quindroit, 2020a: month(s): 5-7. Quindroit, 2022c: month(s): 5-7. Great Britain Cunningham, 2017: month(s): 6. Morocco Stary and Oosterbroek, 2008: month(s): 7. Driauach and Belqat, 2016: month(s): 5. Portugal Stary, 2014b: month(s): 5. Oosterbroek et al., 2020: month(s): 5. Russia Kolcsar et al., 2021b: month(s): 5. Spain Stary, 2014b: month(s): 4, 10. Hancock and Hewitt, 2020: month(s): 6. Hancock, 2020: month(s): 6. Turkey Koc, 2004: month(s): 5, 8. on altitude (mainly from 2000 onward): Cyprus Stary and Oosterbroek, 2008: altitude: 1000-1250 m. Morocco Stary and Oosterbroek, 2008: altitude: 1700-1900 m. Driauach and Belqat, 2016: altitude: 1134 m. Kettani and Oosterbroek, 2022a: altitude: 1700-1900 m. Portugal Stary, 2014b: altitude: 290 m. Russia Kolcsar et al., 2021b: altitude: 20 m. Spain Stary, 2014b: altitude: 700 m. Turkey Koc, 2004: altitude: 6-1750 m.