Shropshire Craneflies is both an up-to-date distribution atlas for Shropshire and a set of identification keys to the 245 taxa recorded in the county.
Based on over 10,000 records of craneflies and their allies, Shropshire Craneflies is a comprehensive update to the first Shropshire atlas produced in 2007. Fieldwork since then has generated 5800 new records and added 21 species to the Shropshire list.
Shropshire is a large inland county containing a great deal of habitat diversity within its boundaries. Significant areas for craneflies include the dingle woodlands of Ironbridge Gorge, the wetlands of the Meres and Mosses and the calcareous habitats of Wenlock Edge, Oswestry Hills and the Wyre Forest. All 870 whole tetrads, plus a further 65 part tetrads around the edge of the county, have been recorded.
Shropshire Craneflies is one of a number to be published examining the distribution of some of Shropshire's invertebrate groups. The atlases follow an upsurge in entomological interest in Shropshire that has been encouraged by the Invertebrate Challenge Project, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.