Bittacus genus of hanging flies in the order Mecoptera. Members of the genus have a cosmopolitan distribution .
Members of this genus have long legs, the front pair of which are modified for grasping and are used to hang from vegetation. The other two pairs have tarsal claws and are modified for catching prey. There are two pairs of equal sized, membranous wings with dark mottling. The mouthparts are modified for chewing. The insects superficially resemble crane flies .
The following species are listed in the World Checklist of Extant Mecoptera Species :
Bittacus aequalis Navás,1914 – KenyaBittacus africanus Esben-Petersen , 1915Bittacus alluaudi Navás, 1914 – Kenya, Tanzania, EthiopiaBittacus andinus Londt and Byers, 1974 – Bolivia, PeruBittacus angrensis Souza Lopes and Mangabeira, 1942 – BrazilBittacus annae Londt, 1972 – South AfricaBittacus appendiculatus Esben-Petersen, 1927 – China (Yunnan)Bittacus armatus Tjeder, 1956 – Zimbabwe, South AfricaBittacus banksi Esben-Petersen, 1915 – Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, PanamaBittacus berlandi Capra, 1939 – Tanzania, KenyaBittacus bicornis Londt, 1993 – South AfricaBittacus boraceiensis -Morgante, 1967 – Brazil (São Paulo)Bittacus boranicus Capra, 1939 – EthiopiaBittacus brasiliensis Klug, 1838 – Argentina, BrazilBittacus brunneus Esben-Petersen, 1927 – ParaguayBittacus bullatus Londt, 1972 – South AfricaBittacus burgeoni Navás, 1930 – ZaireBittacus burmanus Tjeder, 1974 – BurmaBittacus byersi Londt, 1972 – South AfricaBittacus capensis (Thunberg), 1784 – South AfricaBittacus caprai Londt, 1972 – Zambia, ZimbabweBittacus carpenteri Cheng, 1957 – China (Szechwan)Bittacus chevalieri (Navás), 1908 – Chad, Mali, Senegal, French SomalilandBittacus chilensis Klug, 1838 – ChileBittacus chlorostigma MacLachlan, 1881 – United States (California, Oregon)Bittacus chujoi Issiki and Cheng, 1947 – TaiwanBittacus cirratus Tjeder, 1956 – China (Manchuria, Kiangsi)Bittacus contumax Tjeder, 1956 – ChinaBittacus coreanus Issiki, 1929 – China (Kiangsu), KoreaBittacus cottrelli Londt, 1972 – South AfricaBittacus discors Navás, 1914 – Kenya, SomaliaBittacus disternum Byers, 1996 – Costa RicaBittacus diversinervis Souza Lopes and Mangabeira, 1942 – BrazilBittacus elisabethae Navás, 1930 – ZaireBittacus eremus Lambkin, 1988 – AustraliaBittacus erythrostigma Byers, 1975 – Uganda, ZaireBittacus femoralis Klug, 1838 – BrazilBittacus flavescens Klug, 1838 – Brazil, VenezuelaBittacus formosanus Issiki, 1927 – TaiwanBittacus fritzi Williner, 1990 – ArgentinaBittacus fumosus Esben-Petersen, 1913 – Kenya,Zimbabwe, Tanzania, ZambiaBittacus geniculatus Erichson, 1848 – Brazil, GuyanaBittacus golbachi Williner, 1990 – ArgentinaBittacus gressitti Cheng, 1957 – China (Kwangtung)Bittacus hageni Brauer, 1860 – Austria, Belgium, FranceBittacus henryi Kimmins, 1928 – Sri LankaBittacus homburgerae Navás, 1933 – French GuineaBittacus indicus Walker 1853 – IndiaBittacus insularis Esben-Petersen 1915 – Sri LankaBittacus issikii Miyamoto 1979 – JapanBittacus italicus (Müller) 1766 -Belgium, Bosnia, Germany, Romania, Spain, SwitzerlandBittacus kagoshimaensis Issiki 1929 -JapanBittacus kimminsi Tjeder 1956 – South AfricaBittacus kunenensis Wood 1933 – NamibiaBittacus laevipes Navás 1909 – JapanBittacus latipennis Gerstaecker 1885 – IndiaBittacus leptocaudus Byers 1965 – ThailandBittacus leptocercus Navás 1934 – TanzaniaBittacus lineatus Navás 1914 – KenyaBittacus livingstonei Londt 1981 – MalawiBittacus maculatus Issiki 1927 – TaiwanBittacus maculosus Byers 1965 – Brazil, TrinidadBittacus malaisei Tjeder 1974 – BurmaBittacus marginatus Miyake 1913 – JapanBittacus mastrillii Navás 1913 – JapanBittacus mexicanus Klug 1838 – Mexico (Oaxaca, San Luis Potosí)Bittacus milleri Londt 1978 – South AfricaBittacus montanus Weele 1910 – Angola, Cameroon, Kenya, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zaire, ZambiaBittacus moschinus Navás 1914 – Malawi, Tanzania, ZambiaBittacus natalensis Wood 1933 – Mozambique, Malawi, Zimbabwe, South AfricaBittacus nebulosus Klug 1838 – Mozambique, South AfricaBittacus nipponicus Navás 1909 – JapanBittacus nodosus Rust and Byers 1976 – India, PakistanBittacus occidentis Walker 1853 – United StatesBittacus omega Morgante 1967 – BrazilBittacus oreinus Navás 1914 – EthiopiaBittacus panamensis Byers 1958 – Costa Rica, Panama, VenezuelaBittacus peninsularis Byers 1996 – Mexico (Baja California Sur)Bittacus peringueyi Esben-Petersen 1913 – South AfricaBittacus peterseni Kimmins 1938 – South AfricaBittacus pieli Navás 1935 – China (Kiangsi)Bittacus pignatellii Navás 1932 – PanamaBittacus pilicornis Westwood 1846 – Canada, United StatesBittacus pinguipalpi Wood 1933 – NamibiaBittacus pintoi Souza Lopes and Mangabeira 1942 – BrazilBittacus planus Cheng 1949 – China (Shensi)Bittacus pobeguini (Navás) 1908 – Zaire, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, UgandaBittacus pollex Byers and Roggero 1992 – PanamaBittacus punctiger Westwood 1846 – United StatesBittacus rossi Londt 1977 – ZaireBittacus saigusai Miyamoto 1984 – JapanBittacus schoutedeni Esben-Petersen 1913 – ZaireBittacus selysi Esben-Petersen 1917 – South AfricaBittacus sinensis Walker 1853 – China (Chekiang, Kiangsu), Korea, JapanBittacus sinicus Issiki 1931 – China (Szechwan)Bittacus sjostedti Weele 1910 – Kenya, TanzaniaBittacus smithersi Londt 1972 – South AfricaBittacus sobrinus Tjeder 1956 – South AfricaBittacus sonani Issiki 1929 – TaiwanBittacus spatulatus Byers 1996 – Costa Rica, NicaraguaBittacus stanleyi Byers 1968 – Zaire, MalawiBittacus stigmaterus Say 1823 – United StatesBittacus striatus Issiki 1927 – TaiwanBittacus strigosus Hagen 1861 – United StatesBittacus sylvaticus Byers 1996 – MexicoBittacus takaoensis Miyake 1913 – JapanBittacus taraiensis Penny 1969 – IndiaBittacus tarsalis Miyamoto 1984 – JapanBittacus testaceus Klug 1838 – Zimbabwe, South AfricaBittacus texanus Banks 1908 – United States (Kansas, New Mexico, Texas)Bittacus tienmushana Cheng 1957 – China (Chekiang)Bittacus tjederi Londt 1970 – South AfricaBittacus triangularis Issiki 1929 – Korea, ManchuriaBittacus tuxeni Byers 1975 – Guinea, MalawiBittacus ussuriensis Plutenko 1985 – Far Eastern RussiaBittacus vexilliferus Byers 1970 – China (Szechwan)Bittacus vumbanus Smithers 1960 – ZimbabweBittacus wahlbergi Londt 1972 – South AfricaBittacus walkeri Esben-Petersen 1915 – South AfricaBittacus weelei Esben-Petersen 1913 – Angola, Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Zaire, ZambiaBittacus zambezinus Navás 1931 – Mozambique, Malawi, Zimbabwe, South AfricaBittacus zelichi Williner 1990 – ArgentinaBittacus zulu Londt 1972 – South Africa
