Bug FAQMetalimnobia triocellata
Metalimnobia triocellata · Order: Diptera · Family: Limoniidae
Adult Metalimnobia triocellata are medium-small crane flies about 8 to 12 mm long. Their wings each show three eye-like spots, and the mesonotum is glossy yellow with four brown marks at each end. They live in the eastern United States and Canada and are active in May-June and September-October.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Each wing has three eye-like spots, the trait that inspired the species name. The mesonotum is a shiny yellow with four brown markings near each end.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults measure roughly 8 to 12 mm in length, placing them in the medium-small size range for crane flies.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is primarily found in the eastern United States and Canada.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing during two periods: May-June and September-October.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range is the eastern part of North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 31 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Massachusetts, Virginia, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Alaska, New Jersey, Maryland.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When are Metalimnobia triocellata adults active?
They fly in two windows each year, from May to June and again from September to October.
Source: Wikipedia
How can I tell this crane fly apart from similar species?
Look for three eye-like spots on each wing and a blunt terminal palpus; other Limonia species usually have a long palpus.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is this species found?
It occurs mainly in the eastern United States and Canada.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Limoniidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limonia_triocellata
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-26 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-26.