Fly ID please

[runnerwill]

Hi all,

This was at The Lodge the other day, I think it's a Bibio sp. and not marci because of the brown legs, but I'm not sure what the alternatives are?



Cheers

Will

[Jason Green]

Evening Will,

It certainly is a Bibio sp.! Pointers include the low-placed antennae and downward-pointing spine on the front femora. I don't know if species-level identifications can be made from photos, but it isn't either true St. Mark's Fly (Bibio marci and B. hortulanus) on account of the wings lacking near-continual black borders. This makes it a Fever Fly. A rather odd name in my opinion!

Either way this is a female given the eye-size - the males' are a lot bigger.

Take care,

Jason

[JRsbugs]

Could be Bibio varipes, not sure though.

Janet

[Geoff F]

There are a few Bibio species here Bibio pomonae when I was trying to identify one recently I found a comprehensive identification site for Bibio; but where was it?

And the Commanster site may also be worth a visit http://www.commanster.eu/commanster/...ibionidae.html

[JRsbugs]

B. pomonae female has black tibia

[Jason Green]

I don't know, but it sounds useful

[JRsbugs]

It might be the commanster site, but they do sometimes get it wrong.

Bibionidae

[JRsbugs]

This site has a few pics, they will be correct.

BioLib - Bibionidae (march flies)

Also diptera.info

Diptera.info - Photo Albums: Bibionidae

[runnerwill]

Thanks all, these are clearly somewhat tricky, varipes looks good, but not sure how you distinguish it from johannis?

[JRsbugs]

I don't really know either, there seems to be a lack of photos of the female B. johannis. The one I found I couldn't say was correct.

Perhaps you could join diptera.info and try you luck there. B. johannis has been around lately.