Hanging flies superficially resemble crane-flies with their very long, thin legs. These predators hang from vegetation with their forelegs and capture prey insects with their raptorial hindlegs. During courtship, males often present females with a nuptial meal, which she feeds on during mating. Some species are known to steal food from spider webs. Two genera are flightless: Anomalobittacus having reduced, strap-like wings, and Apterobittacus having wings completely absent. Three genera of bittacids have greatly enlarged cerci, Anabittacus, Orobittacus and Tytthobittacus. Pazius is extremely slender, with enlarged compound eyes broadly contiguous dorsally. Three closely related Neotropical genera, Issikiella, Kalobittacus and Nannobittacus have highly iridescent wings with extensive dark pigmentation. One temperate North American genus, Hylobittacus, has the wing apices darkened.
Anabittacus | iridipennis | Kimmins | 1929 | Chile |
Anomalobittacus | gracilipes | Kimmins | 1928 | South Africa |
Apterobittacus | apterus | (MacLachlan) | 1871 | U.S.A. (CA, CO ?) |
Austrobittacus | anomalus | Riek | 1954 | Australia |
Bittacus | aequalis | Navás | 1914 | Kenya |
Bittacus | africanus | Esben-Petersen | 1915 | Zaire |
Bittacus | alluaudi | Navás | 1914 | Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia |
= Bittacus | jeanneli | Navás | 1914 | |
= Bittacus | zavattarii | Capra | 1939 | |
Bittacus | andinus | Londt and Byers | 1974 | Bolivia, Peru |
Bittacus | angrensis | Souza Lopes and Mangabeira | 1942 | Brazil (RJ) |
Bittacus | annae | Londt | 1972 | South Africa |
Bittacus | appendiculatus | Esben-Petersen | 1927 | China (Yunnan) |
Bittacus | armatus | Tjeder | 1956 | Zimbabwe, South Africa |
= Bittacus | solitarius | Tjeder | 1956 | |
Bittacus | banksi | Esben-Petersen | 1915 | Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico (Guerrero, Jalisco, Morelos,Yucatan), Panama |
Bittacus | berlandi | Capra | 1939 | Tanzania, Kenya |
= Bittacus | rhombicus | Kimmins | 1957 | |
Bittacus | bicornis | Londt | 1993 | South Africa |
Bittacus | boraceiensis | Morgante | 1967 | Brazil (SP) |
Bittacus | boranicus | Capra | 1939 | Ethiopia |
Bittacus | brasiliensis | Klug | 1838 | Argentina, Brazil |
Bittacus | brunneus | Esben-Petersen | 1927 | Paraguay |
Bittacus | bullatus | Londt | 1972 | South Africa |
Bittacus | burgeoni | Navás | 1930 | Zaire |
Bittacus | burmanus | Tjeder | 1974 | Burma |
Bittacus | byersi | Londt | 1972 | South Africa |
Bittacus | capensis | (Thunberg) | 1784 | South Africa |
= Panorpa | capensis | Thunberg | 1784 | |
Bittacus | caprai | Londt | 1972 | Zambia, Zimbabwe |
Bittacus | carpenteri | Cheng | 1957 | China (Szechwan) |
Bittacus | chevalieri | (Navás) | 1908 | Chad, Mali, Senegal, French Somaliland |
= Haplodictyus | chevalieri | Navás | 1908 | |
Bittacus | chilensis | Klug | 1838 | Chile |
Bittacus | chlorostigma | MacLachlan | 1881 | U.S.A. (CA, OR) |
Bittacus | chujoi | Issiki and Cheng | 1947 | Taiwan |
Bittacus | cirratus | Tjeder | 1956 | China (Manchuria, Kiangsi) |
= Bittacus | zoensis | Cheng | 1957 | |
Bittacus | contumax | Tjeder | 1956 | China |
Bittacus | coreanus | Issiki | 1929 | China (Kiangsu), Korea |
Bittacus | cottrelli | Londt | 1972 | South Africa |
Bittacus | discors | Navás | 1914 | Kenya, Somalia |
= Bittacus | patrizii | Navás | 1929 | |
Bittacus | disternum | Byers | 1996 | Costa Rica |
Bittacus | diversinervis | Souza Lopes and Mangabeira | 1942 | Brazil (AC, AM, AP, ES, GO, MG, PE, RJ, RR, SP) |
Bittacus | elisabethae | Navás | 1930 | Zaire |
Bittacus | eremus | Lambkin | 1988 | Australia |
Bittacus | erythrostigma | Byers | 1975 | Uganda, Zaire |
Bittacus | femoralis | Klug | 1838 | Brazil (GO, RO) |
Bittacus | flavescens | Klug | 1838 | Brazil (ES, MG, RJ, RS, SP), Venezuela |
= Bittacus | affinis | Westwood | 1846 | |
Bittacus | formosanus | Issiki | 1927 | Taiwan |
Bittacus | fritzi | Williner | 1990 | Argentina |
Bittacus | fumosus | Esben-Petersen | 1913 | Kenya, Zimbabwe,Tanzania, Zambia |
Bittacus | geniculatus | Erichson | 1848 | Brazil, Guyana |
Bittacus | golbachi | Williner | 1990 | Argentina |
Bittacus | gressitti | Cheng | 1957 | China (Kwangtung) |
Bittacus | hageni | Brauer | 1860 | Austria, Belgium, France |
Bittacus | henryi | Kimmins | 1928 | Sri Lanka |
Bittacus | homburgerae | Navás | 1933 | French Guinea |
Bittacus | indicus | Walker | 1853 | India |
Bittacus | insularis | Esben-Petersen | 1915 | Sri Lanka |
Bittacus | issikii | Miyamoto | 1979 | Japan |
Bittacus | italicus | (Müller) | 1766 | Belgium, Bosnia, Germany, Romania, Spain, Switzerland |
= Panorpa | italica | Müller | 1766 | |
= Panorpa | tipularia | Fabricius | 1775 | |
= Panorpa | tipuloides | Schrank | 1776 | |
Bittacus | kagoshimaensis | Issiki | 1929 | Japan |
Bittacus | kimminsi | Tjeder | 1956 | South Africa |
Bittacus | kunenensis | Wood | 1933 | Namibia |
Bittacus | lachlani | Navás | 1925 | Kenya |
Bittacus | laevipes | Navás | 1909 | Japan |
Bittacus | latipennis | Gerstaecker | 1885 | India |
Bittacus | leptocaudus | Byers | 1965 | Thailand |
Bittacus | leptocercus | Navás | 1934 | Tanzania |
Bittacus | lineatus | Navás | 1914 | Kenya |
= Bittacus | similis | Kimmins | 1957 | |
Bittacus | livingstonei | Londt | 1981 | Malawi |
Bittacus | maculatus | Issiki | 1927 | Taiwan |
Bittacus | maculosus | Byers | 1965 | Brazil (AM), Trinidad |
Bittacus | malaisei | Tjeder | 1974 | Burma |
Bittacus | marginatus | Miyake | 1913 | Japan |
Bittacus | mastrillii | Navás | 1913 | Japan |
Bittacus | mexicanus | Klug | 1838 | Mexico (Oaxaca, San Luis Potosi) |
Bittacus | milleri | Londt | 1978 | South Africa |
Bittacus | montanus | Weele | 1910 | Angola, Cameroon, Kenya, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zaire, Zambia |
= Bittacus | woodi | Smithers | 1959 | |
Bittacus | moschinus | Navás | 1914 | Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia |
Bittacus | natalensis | Wood | 1933 | Mozambique, Malawi, Zimbabwe, South Africa |
Bittacus | nebulosus | Klug | 1838 | Mozambique, South Africa |
Bittacus | nipponicus | Navás | 1909 | Japan |
Bittacus | nodosus | Rust and Byers | 1976 | India, Pakistan |
Bittacus | occidentis | Walker | 1853 | U.S.A. (AL, AR, AZ, DC, DE, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MD, MO, NC, NE, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA) |
= Bittacus | arizonicus | Banks | 1911 | |
Bittacus | omega | Morgante | 1967 | Brazil (MG) |
Bittacus | oreinus | Navás | 1914 | Ethiopia |
Bittacus | panamensis | Byers | 1958 | Costa Rica, Panama, Venezuela |
Bittacus | peninsularis | Byers | 1996 | Mexico (Baja California Sur) |
Bittacus | peringueyi | Esben-Petersen | 1913 | South Africa |
Bittacus | peterseni | Kimmins | 1938 | South Africa |
Bittacus | pieli | Navás | 1935 | China (Kiangsi) |
Bittacus | pignatellii | Navás | 1932 | Panama |
Bittacus | pilicornis | Westwood | 1846 | Canada, U.S.A. (AL, AR, DC, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MO, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, TX, VA, WS, WV) |
Bittacus | pinguipalpi | Wood | 1933 | Namibia |
Bittacus | pintoi | Souza Lopes and Mangabeira | 1942 | Brazil (MG) |
Bittacus | planus | Cheng | 1949 | China (Shensi) |
Bittacus | pobeguini | (Navás) | 1908 | Zaire, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Uganda |
= Haplodictyus | pobeguini | Navás | 1908 | |
= Bittacus | kongoloensis | Lestage | 1929 | |
Bittacus | pollex | Byers and Roggero | 1992 | Panama |
Bittacus | punctiger | Westwood | 1846 | U.S.A. (AL, DC, FL, GA, IL, IN, MD, MS, NC, TN, TX, VA, WV) |
Bittacus | rossi | Londt | 1977 | Zaire |
Bittacus | saigusai | Miyamoto | 1984 | Japan |
Bittacus | schoutedeni | Esben-Petersen | 1913 | Zaire |
= Bittacus | lestagei | Kimmins | 1957 | |
Bittacus | selysi | Esben-Petersen | 1917 | South Africa |
Bittacus | sinensis | Walker | 1853 | China (Chekiang, Kiangsu), Korea, Japan |
= Bittacus | quaternipunctatus | Enderlein | 1910 | |
= Bittacus | strategus | Navás | 1913 | |
Bittacus | sinicus | Issiki | 1931 | China (Szechwan) |
Bittacus | sjostedti | Weele | 1910 | Kenya, Tanzania |
Bittacus | smithersi | Londt | 1972 | South Africa |
Bittacus | sobrinus | Tjeder | 1956 | South Africa |
Bittacus | sonani | Issiki | 1929 | Taiwan |
Bittacus | spatulatus | Byers | 1996 | Costa Rica, Nicaragua |
Bittacus | stanleyi | Byers | 1968 | Zaire, Malawi |
Bittacus | stigmaterus | Say | 1823 | U.S.A. (CT, DC, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MI, MO, MS, NC, NE, NY, OH, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA) |
= Bittacus | pallidipennis | Westwood | 1846 | |
Bittacus | striatus | Issiki | 1927 | Taiwan |
Bittacus | strigosus | Hagen | 1861 | U.S.A. (AL, AR, CT, DC, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, VA, VT, WV, WY), Canada (MB, PQ) |
Bittacus | sylvaticus | Byers | 1996 | Mexico (Veracruz) |
Bittacus | takaoensis | Miyake | 1913 | Japan |
= Bittacus | polemicus | Navás | 1913 | |
Bittacus | taraiensis | Penny | 1969 | India |
Bittacus | tarsalis | Miyamoto | 1984 | Japan |
Bittacus | testaceus | Klug | 1838 | Zimbabwe, South Africa |
= Bittacus | brincki | Tjeder | 1956 | |
Bittacus | texanus | Banks | 1908 | U.S.A. (KS, NM, TX) |
Bittacus | tienmushana | Cheng | 1957 | China (Chekiang) |
Bittacus | tjederi | Londt | 1970 | South Africa |
Bittacus | triangularis | Issiki | 1929 | Korea, Manchuria |
Bittacus | tuxeni | Byers | 1975 | Guinea, Malawi |
Bittacus | ussuriensis | Plutenko | 1985 | Far Eastern Russia |
Bittacus | vexilliferus | Byers | 1970 | China (Szechwan) |
Bittacus | vumbanus | Smithers | 1960 | Zimbabwe |
Bittacus | wahlbergi | Londt | 1972 | South Africa |
Bittacus | walkeri | Esben-Petersen | 1915 | South Africa |
= Bittacus | angulosus | Tjeder | 1956 | |
= Bittacus | gessi | Londt | 1972 | |
= Bittacus | pondoensis | Londt | 1972 | |
Bittacus | weelei | Esben-Petersen | 1913 | Angola, Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Zaire, Zambia |
= Bittacus | longistigma | Navás | 1926 | |
= Bittacus | negus | Navás | 1915 | |
= Bittacus | wittei | Navás | 1933 | |
Bittacus | zambezinus | Navás | 1931 | Mozambique, Malawi, Zimbabwe, South Africa |
= Bittacus | natalensis | Wood | 1933 | |
Bittacus | zelichi | Williner | 1990 | Argentina |
Bittacus | zulu | Londt | 1972 | South Africa |
Edriobittacus | microcercus | (Gerstaecker) | 1885 | Australia |
= Bittacus | microcerus | Gerstaecker | 1885 | |
Harpobittacus | albatus | Riek | 1954 | Australia |
= Harpobittacus | limnaeus | Smithers | 1973 | |
Harpobittacus | australis | (Klug) | 1838 | Australia (Tasmania) |
= Bittacus | australis | Klug | 1838 | |
= Bittacus | corethrarius | Rambur | 1842 | |
= Bittacus | intermedius | Selys | 1868 (female) | |
= Harpobittacus | australis rubipes | Riek | 1954 | |
Harpobittacus | cristine | Lambkin | 1994 | Australia |
Harpobittacus | nigratus | Navás | 1932 | Australia (New South Wales) |
Harpobittacus | nigriceps | (Selys) | 1868 | Australia |
= Bittacus | nigriceps | Selys | 1868 | |
= Bittacus | intermedius | Selys | 1868 (male) | |
Harpobittacus | phaeoscius | Riek | 1954 | Australia |
Harpobittacus | quasisimilis | Lambkin | 1994 | Australia |
Harpobittacus | rubricatus | Riek | 1954 | Australia |
= Harpobittacus | tillyardi rubricatus | Riek | 1954 | |
Harpobittacus | scheibeli | Esben-Petersen | 1935 | Australia |
= Harpobittacus | brewerae | Smithers | 1973 | |
Harpobittacus | septentrionis | Lambkin | 1994 | Australia |
Harpobittacus | similis | Esben-Petersen | 1935 | Australia |
Harpobittacus | tillyardi | Esben-Petersen | 1915 | Australia (Tasmania) |
Hylobittacus | apicalis | (Hagen) | 1861 | U.S.A. (AL, AR, GA, IL, IN, KY, MI, MO, NC, NY, OH, OK, PA, TN, VA, WV), Mexico (Hidalgo ?) |
= Bittacus | apicalis | Hagen | 1861 | |
= Haplodictyus | incertus | Navás | 1926 | |
Issikiella | amazonica | Byers and Florez | 1995 | Colombia |
Issikiella | araguaiensis | Penny and Arias | 1983 | Brazil (PA) |
Issikiella | boliviensis | Williner | 1985 | Bolivia |
Issikiella | byersi | Penny and Arias | 1983 | Brazil (AM) |
Issikiella | pulchra | Byers | 1972 | Brazil (SC) |
Kalobittacus | bimaculatus | Esben-Petersen | 1914 | Mexico (Tabasco, Veracruz) |
Kalobittacus | demissus | Byers | 1996 | Costa Rica |
Kalobittacus | hubbelli | Byers | 1965 | Honduras |
Kalobittacus | inornatus | Byers | 1996 | Costa Rica |
Kalobittacus | masoni | Byers | 1994 | Mexico (Veracruz) |
Kalobittacus | maniculatus | Byers | 1996 | Guatemala |
Kalobittacus | ramosus | Byers | 1958 | Panama |
Kalobittacus | similis | Byers | 1994 | Mexico (Veracruz) |
Nannobittacus | elegans | Esben-Petersen | 1927 | Brazil (PA) |
Nannobittacus | pollex | Byers and Roggero | 1992 | Colombia, Panama |
Nannobittacus | souzalopesi | Penny and Arias | 1983 | Brazil (AM) |
Nannobittacus | tjederi | Byers | 1965 | Colombia, Panama, Venezuela |
Neobittacus | aripuanaensis | Penny | 1977 | Brazil (MT) |
Neobittacus | blancheti | (Pictet) | 1836 | Brazil (ES) |
= Bittacus | blancheti | Pictet | 1836 | |
Orobittacus | obscurus | Villegas and Byers | 1981 | U.S.A. (CA) |
Pazius | cinctipes | Byers and Florez | 1995 | Colombia |
Pazius | flinti | Byers | 1977 | Panama |
Pazius | furcatus | Byers | 1957 | Venezuela |
Pazius | gracilis | (Navás) | 1908 | Peru |
= Bittacus | gracilis | Navás | 1908 | |
Pazius | obtusus | Byers | 1957 | Panama, Costa Rica |
Pazius | ornaticaudus | Penny | 1977 | Brazil (AC, MT) |
Pazius | pectinatus | Byers | 1977 | Ecuador |
Pazius | spinosus | Byers and Roggero | 1992 | Panama |
Symbittacus | scitulus | Byers | 1986 | Australia |
Tytthobittacus | macalpinei | Smithers | 1973 | Australia |