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hello flyforum,

On 29th of April (edit: 2007!)I collected some Bibio sp. in The Amsterdam Forest.
Looking at these specie, it looks like Bibio anglicus to me..

some characteristics:

size < 1 cm
long black bodyhairs
spines (some redish/braun)
stigma in the milky-wing is braun
legs are black

Is this a male Bibio anglicus?

Robert,

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I agree.

This should be the 'lost' male of anglicus. Well done !

Theo

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Hi Theo,

On 28th april I found on 'the Hill - Amsterdam Forest' one male Bibo Anglicus.
On 29th april I found another male in the 'Tribunebos Koenen - Amsterdam Forest'

3 females where found by Cor Zonneveld in 'Amstelveen-zuid - Middenwaard'

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Hi Chris, Theo and other dipterists.

After the recent discussion about the B. anglicus (see previous item diptera-forum), I think this Bibionidae sp. could be B. leucopterus as well!

What are the obvious difference characteristics between:
B. anglicus?
B. leucopterus?

Am I right to say that these two species both do not have the black forwing-edge (like B. marci got, for example..)

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Bibio leucopterus keys out very early in Freeman & Lane (1985):
* The first couplet splits off B.venosus, which is the only British species that doesn't have a swollen fore tibia.
* The next couplet splits off B.leucopterus because it is the only British species where the spurs on the swollen fore tibia are of roughly equal lengths. The wing of the male are also milky and the pterostigma is quite brown, not black.
* Then the key splits the remaining species by the relative length of r-m and r4+5 (the V-shaped veins below the pterostigma). Bibio pomonae, marci & hortulanus all have a short r-m; while the rest have roughly equal r-m and r4+5.
* It gets a bit more complicated now - using the amount of swelling on the hind femora. Those where the femora is narrow at least 50% are all end of summer/autumn species (clavipes & lepidus); the rest have a more swollen femora
* If the antennae have 5-6 segments then you have nigriventris
* If the legs are all black you have anglicus or ferrugineus; or if they are reddish or yellow then you have "the others" (reticulatus, johannis, lanigerus, hybridus or varipes) ... but splitting them involves more features and i haven't got time to list them ;)

But yours does look like a B.leucopterus, if those spurs are equal in length ... compare to your Bibio marci if in doubt :)

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Robert it right !

you can see the inner spur on the right tibia, though it is very difficult to see. I missed it the first and second time.


Theo