Marsh Splay Symplecta stictica

Apparently very common on saltmarshes but also occurring at marshy locations inland. My first example was from quite a dry spot, but only about half a mile from marshy areas. I've now had quite a few coming to light in this area.

This was keyed using the Stubbs BENHS book and led quite straighforwardly to this species. I was slightly put off by the habitat description but the genitalia were spot on. As a double-check I also keyed it using Boardman's Shropshire Craneflies book. The wings were 5.7mm long.

male Marsh Splay Symplecta stictica showing thorax, wing, genitalia (2 views) and femora, Wendling Beck Environment Project (Norfolk, UK), 3rd September 2023

This was at a different site in the same project area. It was slightly larger with a wing length of about 6.9mm.

female Marsh Splay Symplecta stictica showing thorax and wing, Wendling Beck Environment Project (Norfolk, UK), 15th May 2024

These four were at a dry harvested arable field in the same project area. You could just about make out the relevant parts of the genitalia of the males but this became much easier to see when the abdomen was cleared in potassium hydroxide solution. In the photos the wings and genitalia follow the insect they came from. I don't appear to have measured the wings of all four but the first male's wing was 5.7mm long and the first female's wing was 5.6mm long.

2 male and 2 female Marsh Splays Symplecta stictica showing wings (all four) and genitalia (the two males, first one before and after clearing), Wendling Beck Environment Project (Norfolk, UK), 14th July 2024

This one escaped before I could examine it properly. I'm not aware of anything else that it could be other than this species, but in the absence of having keyed it out properly I'm currenty treating it as unconfirmed.

probable Marsh Splay Symplecta stictica, Wendling Beck Environment Project (Norfolk, UK), 21st June 2024

This one's wing was 5.2mm long.

male Marsh Splay Symplecta stictica showing wing and genitalia, Wendling Beck Environment Project (Norfolk, UK), 16th July 2024