Phoroctenia vittata stands out for its extraordinary ability to camouflage even within brightly colored surroundings. It interacts with its environment in a captivating way, playing a pivotal role in its ecosystem by preying mainly on aphids, keeping the population in check. Uniquely, it displays a fascinating defensive behavior, releasing an unpleasant scent when threatened. Situated in the top tiers of food chains, this species regulates populations of pests. Phoroctenia vittata's existence, hence, is vital to maintaining ecological balance.

The Antlered Crane Fly is notable for its bright black and yellow colors, which are thought to offer it defense from predators due to its similar appearance to wasps. This species can be differentiated from other crane flies by the unusual twig-like appearance of the male, which is a special adaptation that allows further defense from predators in this insect's native forest habitat.

Adorning a sleek, dark-toned body, giant sabre comb horn cranefly flaunts wings that shimmer with a subtle iridescence when caught by the light. Its lifecycle includes an aquatic larval phase, which eventually transforms into a winged adult, capable of delicate yet determined flight. This species, typically preferring damp environments, plays a crucial ecological role through both its larval and adult stages, contributing significantly to the detrital decomposition process and serving as a prey item for various predators.

The giant Western Crane Fly (Holorusia hespera) is an insect that looks like an enormous mosquito. Thankfully, they have no interest in human blood. Instead, they only eat plant debris in their larval stages. They do not eat as adults. It has a built-in gyroscope in the form of club-like structures called halteres that help them fly.

Nephrotoma crocata is a species of cranefly found in most of Europe and northern Russia. The subspecies N. c. luteata is found in southwest France, Portugal, Spain, Morocco, and Algeria.

Nephrotoma virgata's uniqueness lies in its vibrational communication, achieved by twitching their abdomen to signal others of their species. They play a crucial role in the ecosystem as primary consumers, feeding extensively on grass and contributing to the nutrient cycle. In turn, their larval stage feeds voraciously on decaying plants, helping speed up decomposition and fostering soil health. Nephrotoma virgata also double as prey for birds and small mammals, sustaining biodiversity within their habitat.

Nephrotoma quadrifaria is a species of true cranefly found in most of Europe. The subspecies N. q. farsidica is found in Iran.

Nephrotoma appendiculata has a wingspan of about 50 mm (2.0 in), and a body length of 13–15 mm (0.5–0.6 in). The body is yellow with a few short, black stripes on the thorax , a black horseshoe mark on the side and a broad dark stripe on each section of the abdomen. The wings have a thin, yellow line near the leading edge. The wing stigma is usually pale, but sometimes it is dark. This species is rather similar to Nephrotoma flavescens.