Crane flies (Tipuloidea) are a standout in taxonomic diversity within the exceedingly diverse Diptera, or true flies. With 15,000 world species they have successfully established themselves in an extraordinary array of habitats. Previous research has identified 251 species from the Smokies with an estimate of species richness of 500 species, or 19% of the North American fauna. Proposed research will investigate areas of the Park that have received little presence of collecting in the past with a goal of updating the park species list and increasing the knowledge of species distributions.

Principal Investigator

PI Name:  Dr. Matthew Petersen

PI Organization:  Iowa State University