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Bibionidae - Australia/NZ (in development)

Authors: Even Dankowicz

Last updated: May 2019

Help identify observations on iNaturalist:

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?taxon_id=56097&place_id=6744

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?taxon_id=56097&place_id=6803

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Bibio vestitus, MA, © Even Dankowicz / CC-BY

Plecia nearctica, FL, © Katja Schultz, iNaturalist / CC-BY

br

R4 oblique

R5

R4+5 fused

bm

m-cu crossvein; bm ends before br

br

m-cu crossvein; bm ends after br

bm

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Dilophus sp., DC, © Katja Schultz, iNaturalist / CC-BY

Fore tibia with

2-3 rows of spines

Anterior thorax with

2 rows of spines

Bibio fraternus, DC, © Katja Schultz, iNaturalist / CC-BY

Fore tibia with

2 spurs

Anterior thorax

unadorned

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Bibionidae

	Plecia	Bibio	Enicoscolus	Dilophus
Cell bm exceeds cell br?	no	yes	Bm open & R4+5 shortened	yes
Fore tibiae	simple	spurred	spurred	rows of spines
R4, R5 emerge from which cell?	Cell br	Cell br	Cell br	Cell br
Fore tibia, femur with ventral tubercles?	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent
Vein R4 vs R5	oblique	fused	fused	fused
antennae	compact	compact	compact	compact
Anterior Dorsal Thorax	Lacking spines	Lacking spines	Lacking spines	Two rows of spines

Dilophus is the only genus known from New Zealand.

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Plecia

		scutum	Lateral thorax
P. dimidiata	TAS, Vic, NSW, Qld	Red, anterior dark	Brown
P. aruensis	N Qld	Red	Red
P. amplipennis	NT, Qld, NSW	Red	Red	Cu apex sharply bent -> Cu sometimes closed
P. ornaticornis	Qld, widespread	Red	Red	Cu apex less bent
P. erebeoidea	N Qld	black	Black	R2+3 gently curved
P. erebea	NSW, S Qld	black	Black	R2+3 bent at base

B. dimidiata, VIC, © Reiner Richter, iNaturalist / CC BY-NC

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Bibio imitator

Males black, females red-yellow thorax+abdomen
legs black, red-tinged

Another undescribed species of Bibio is found in N Qld

Enicoscolus collessi

Qld

B. imitator, NSW, © Steve Kerr, iNaturalist / CC BY-NC

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Dilophus

Australian spp. With distinctive wing patterning		Subapical foretibial spines (multiple sets designated)	Rostrum	thorax	legs	Male hind tarsi	wings	M-cu crossvein and base of M1 or M1+2?	Body and legs pile
D. mcalpinei	NSW, Qld	2:3		Polished black in M, reddish in F	Mostly yellow in M	somewhat swollen hind tarsomeres	Distinctly bicolored, apical 5^th pale brown
D. atripennis	NSW	4 spines in 1 row	Short	Dark brown; Anterior comb distinctly medially divided	Dark		Uniformly black

Australian spp. based on Hardy 1982:

Australian spp. without m1 base and m-cu crossvein		Subapical foretibial spines (multiple sets designated)	Rostrum	thorax	legs	Male hind tarsi	wings	M-cu crossvein and base of M1 or M1+2?	Body and legs pile
D. discretus	NSW	5 spines 4:1	Long to short	Polished black	Dark red-brown to black	Slender, basitarsus 6+x longer vs wide	Almost hyaline, posterior veins almost colorless,	Absent	Pale yellow
D. sexspinosus	N Qld	6 spines 2:[2:2]	Short	Male unknown, yellow to red in F	M unknown, mostly yellow in F	Slender, basitarsus 6+x longer vs wide	Lightly infuscated, posterior veins brown-yellow	Absent
D. parvus	Qld	5 spines 4:1	Short	Shining black in M, mostly dark in F	Mostly yellow	Slender, basitarsus 6+x longer vs wide	hyaline to ~ infuscated	Absent	black
D. pictipes	widespread	5 spines 2:3, widely spaced	Short	Shining black	Yellow-marked	Slender, basitarsus 6+x longer vs wide	hyaline to ~ infuscated	Absent	Pale to dark
D. collessi	WA	5 spines 2:3, closely spaced	Short	Polished black in M, variable in F	Mostly yellow	Slender, basitarsus 6+x longer vs wide	Lightly infuscated, posterior veins brown-yellow	Absent	Yellow
D. modicus	NSW	5 spines 2:3, closely spaced	Short	Polished black in M, yellow-red in F	Dark to black in M, yellow to red in F	Slender, basitarsus 6+x longer vs wide	Hyaline, posterior veins colorless	Absent	Yellow

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Dilophus

Other Australian spp.		Subapical foretibial spines (multiple sets designated)	Rostrum	thorax	legs	Male hind tarsi	wings	M-cu crossvein and base of M1 or M1+2?	Body and legs pile
D. cantrelli	WA	4 spines in 1 row	Long	Polished black	front femora, and bases of all femora yellow, otherwise dark red-brown	Strongly swollen	Lightly tinged, brown posterior veins	present	Yellow
D. longirostris	Qld, NSW, Vic, NT, SA	4 spines in 1 row	Long	Polished black in M ; F variable with pleura reddish	male legs all black; variable in F	Strongly swollen	Hyaline, posterior veins colorless	present	Black
D. skusei	widespread	2:3, widely spaced	Long	Shining black	Black, F femora yellow to red	Strongly swollen	Hyaline, colorless posterior veins	present	Yellow
D. tersus	Tas, NSW	2:3, closer spaced	Long	Polished black in M, reddish in F	Darker in M, reddish in F	Slightly swollen	yellow-tinged, pale brown posterior veins	present	Black
D. conspicuus	widespread	3 large, blunt spines, 2:1	Short	Polished black, pleura lighter in F	Mostly yellow	Slightly swollen	hyaline; posterior veins ~colorless	Present	yellow
D. tricuspidatus	WA	3 large, blunt spines in a single row	Short	Shining black	Male legs dark-colored, lighter in F	Strongly swollen	hyaline to ~ infuscated; posterior veins pale brown	present
D. varipes	Qld, NSW, Vic	4+ spines in single row	Short	Shining black	Male legs dark-colored, lighter in F	Hind basitarsus swollen	hyaline to ~ infuscated	present
D. tetrascolus	widespread	2:2, 2^nd set transverse or a bit oblique	Short	Polished black in M, reddish in F	Mostly yellow	Hind basitarsus swollen	hyaline to ~ infuscated; posterior veins almost colorless	present	Yellow
D. partitus	SE Qld	2:2, 2^nd set mostly longitudinal	Short	Polished black in M, reddish in F	mostly black, front femora yellow	Hind basitarsus swollen	hyaline to ~ infuscated; posterior veins brownish yellow	present	dark, brown on dorsal thorax
D. aberratus	S WA	1:3 in M, 2:3 in F	Short	; polished black in M, red in F	Black in M, reddish in F	swollen, basitarsus <3x long vs wide	Hyaline, posterior veins colorless	present	Long yellow
D. surrufus	NSW	2:3	Short	Mostly reddish	Mostly yellow	swollen, basitarsus <3x long vs wide	Posterior veins brown-yellow	Present
D. flavicrus	NSW, Vic	2:3, widely spaced	Short	mostly polished black in M, reddish in F	Front femora clear yellow, otherwise black in M, mostly yellow in F	swollen, basitarsus <3x long vs wide	Lightly infuscated, posterior veins brown-yellow	Present	black
D. longipilosus	WA	2:3, closely spaced	Short	Polished black	Black, F femora yellow to red	swollen, basitarsus <3x long vs wide	Hyaline, Posterior veins brown-yellow	Present	Long, yellow
D. dubius	NSW	2:3, closely spaced	short	Polished black in M, reddish in F	Black in M, reddish in F	swollen, basitarsus <3x long vs wide	Faintly tinged,Posterior veins brown-yellow	present	black

Other Australian spp. based on Hardy 1982:

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Dilophus

New Zealand spp.		Subapical foretibial spines	Wing venation	thorax	legs	wings	Male basotarsomere	\
D. nigrostigma	widespread	mesobasal 3 spines uniquely on strong prominence, 1 mesoapical spine	unreduced	M black; F pale brown to red-brown	M black; F red-brown	~hyaline	somewhat swollen, more elongate	Larger than other spp.
D. alpinus	widespread	2 groups of spines	M-cu crossvein absent, vein M1 detached	M dark; F brown,	M dark brown, F pale brown	hyaline	Swollen, <wide as tibial apex
D. crinitus	widespread	1-5 small spines	-unreduced	M black; F pale to red-brown;	F yellow-brown; M black, some areas pale brown	F ~brown; M hyaline	Somewhat swollen	R1/R4/body, densely haired
D. fumipennis	widespread	1 group of 3-4 spines	-unreduced	M black	M black	~ brown	Swollen, < wide as tibial apex
D. harrisoni	widespread	1 group of 3-4 spines	-unreduced	M brown-black; F brown to yellow-brown	~dark brown	hyaline	Swollen, nearly as wide as tibial apex	R1/R4/body, less haired
D. neoinsolitus	North, northrn South	2 irregular groups of spines	-unreduced	M black-brown; F brown to red-brown	~dark brown	Hyaline, ~ browned	Swollen, < wide as tibial apex	R1/R4/body, less haired
D. segnis	widespread	2 well-separated spine clusters	-unreduced	M black, F pale brown	~brown, paler in F	Hyaline, ~browned	Swollen, as wide as tibial apex	R1/R4/body, less haired
D. tuthilli	widespread	1-2 strong groups near middle	M-cu crossvein absent, vein M1, M2 detached	M Dark brown; F reddish to red-brown	M brown- to dark brown; F more reddish	hyaline	Not swollen?

New Zealand spp based on Harrison 1990:

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References

Sources for this entire project include:

BugGuide.net
iNaturalist.org
Steve Marshall - Flies: The Natural History and Diversity of Diptera
Diptera.org
Nearctic Manual of Diptera

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References

Other sources consulted for this specific document include:

Amorim, Pinto, 2004. First known male of Enicoscolus (Diptera: Bibionidae), with a redescription of E. brachycephalus. Zootaxa. 665: 1-8.
Harrison, 1990. Bibionidae. Fauna of New Zealand. 20.
Hardy, 1982. Bibionidae of Australia. Australian Journal of Zoology. 30(5): 805-855.
Fitzgerald, 2004. Evolution and Classification of Bibionidae (Diptera: Bibionomorpha). PhD Dissertation, Oregon State University.
Australasian and Oceanian Catalogue of Diptera