Lipsothrix nigristigma facts for kids

Lipsothrix nigristigma is a special kind of cranefly. It's a very rare insect found only in England. Scientists have only seen it a few times. This makes it a bit of a mystery!

What is a Cranefly?

Craneflies are insects that look a bit like giant mosquitoes. But don't worry, they don't bite! They have long, thin legs and wings. Many people call them "daddy long-legs" because of their long legs. They are part of a big group of insects called flies.

Discovering the Lipsothrix nigristigma

This particular cranefly, Lipsothrix nigristigma, was first found a long time ago. The very first one, called the type specimen, was collected in Lancashire, England, in 1924. This specimen is super important. It's the one scientists used to officially describe and name the species.

A scientist named Edwards identified and named this cranefly in 1938. For many years after that, no one saw it again. It was thought to be extremely rare, or maybe even gone forever!

Searching for the Cranefly

Then, in 1994, something exciting happened. The Lipsothrix nigristigma was found again! It was spotted in two different places near Telford, a town in England. This was a big discovery because it showed the cranefly was still out there.

Because it was so rare, scientists decided to look for it more. In 2000, they went back to the two spots near Telford where it was seen in 1994. They also searched about twenty other similar places. These places were in Shropshire and Montgomeryshire.

The good news is they found the cranefly at eight, and possibly even nine, of these sites! Most of the places where they found it were around southwest Telford. Only two of the sites were a bit further away. This survey helped scientists learn more about where this rare cranefly lives.