Bibio pomonae

Bibio pomonae
Bibio pomonae, female
Bibio pomonae, male
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Diptera
Family:	Bibionidae
Genus:	Bibio
Species:	B. pomonae
Binomial name
Bibio pomonae (Fabricius, 1775)
Synonyms
Pullata funestus Harris, 1776 Tipula funestus Harris, 1776 Tipula marcifulvipes De Geer, 1776 Tipula pomonae Fabricius, 1775

Bibio pomonae, common name red-thighed St Mark's fly or heather fly, is a species of fly (Diptera) belonging to the family Bibionidae.

Description

Bibio pomonae can reach a length of about 10–13 millimetres (0.39–0.51 in), while the length of the wings reaches 8–12 millimetres (0.31–0.47 in). The basic body color is shiny black, with a black long abdomen, deep crimson-red femurs and dark tibiae and tarsi. Front tibia show a pair of large spurs. Wings are milky-white with darkened veins on the costal area and a dark spot on the leading edge. The 10-segmented antennae are relatively short and thick. Males and females are very different, as the holoptic males show very large eyes and a flattened abdomen, while the females have small head and eyes and a sharp abdomen. The larvae are reddish brown.

Biology

Adults feed mostly on nectar and are important pollinators. Larvae develop during Fall and Winter feeding on dead leaves, compost, decaying organic matter and Poaceae roots

Adults are late summer flyers, but they occur from May to October. In Norway's Hardangarvidda it has been observed that they appear in large numbers every third year, which suggests the larvae take three years to develop.

Distribution

This species can be found across most of the Palearctic realm (Europe and North Asia), but in southern Europe can be found only in the mountains.

Habitat

This fly occurs in hedge rows of hill countries, on moorland and mountain birch forests, in woodland edges, fields and in wetlands.