Bibio pomonae

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

Bibio pomonae
Bibio pomonae, female
Bibio pomonae, male
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Diptera
Family:	Bibionidae
Genus:	Bibio
Species:	B. pomonae
Binomial name
Bibio pomonae (Fabricius, 1775)[1]
Synonyms
Pullata funestus Harris, 1776 Tipula funestus Harris, 1776 Tipula marcifulvipes De Geer, 1776 Tipula pomonae Fabricius, 1775 [2]

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).^[3] 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.^[4] The larvae are reddish brown.

Biology

Adults feed mostly on nectar and are important pollinators.^[4] Larvae develop during Fall and Winter feeding on dead leaves, compost, decaying organic matter and Poaceae roots ^[3][5]

Adults are late summer flyers, but they occur from May to October.^{[3] [6]} 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.^[7]

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.^[8]

Habitat

This fly occurs in hedge rows of hill countries, on moorland and mountain birch forests, in woodland edges, fields and in wetlands.^[3]