Australasian/Oceanian Diptera Catalog -- Web Version

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5. Family BIBIONIDAE

[Originally] By D. Elmo Hardy

The bibionids, or march flies, are apparently all herbivores, feeding predominantly as scavengers on decaying plant materials. Some larvae have been recorded feeding on roots and tubers of a wide variety of plants and may sometimes be of economic importance. No biological information is available for the species found in the areas covered in this catalog. Most of the species probably breed in rotting leaves and other decaying vegetation, primarily in forests. Adults of Dilophus are often collected on blossoms and are probably nectar feeders and important pollinators. Adults of Plecia and Bibio are commonly found hovering in mating swarms, sometimes in enormous numbers.

Approximately 650-700 species are known worldwide. Members of the Plecinae are most numerous throughout the tropics, while the Bibioninae are most abundant in temperate regions. Ninety species are presently known from the areas treated in this catalog. The family is absent from the Oceanian Region except for 1 species endemic to Belau. Bibionids are well represented throughout the Australasian Region.

Refs.: Hardy (1951a, rev. Pacific Dilophus ; 1953c, rev. NZ spp.; 1958b, rev. Pacific Plecia; 1968b, rev. New Guinean spp.; 1982c, rev. Australian spp.), Harrison (1990, rev. NZ spp.), Fitzgerald (2004, New Caledonian spp.).

Subfamily BIBIONINAE
Genus BIBIO Geoffroy

BIBIO Geoffroy, 1762: 568. Type species: Tipula hortulana Linnaeus, 1758, des. Latreille, 1810: 442 (as "Hirtea hortulana Fabr."). [Validated by I.C.Z.N., 1957: 86.]
anposis Hardy, 1968b: 444. PNG (PNG); Indonesia (Irian Jaya).
flavissimus Brunetti, 1925: 448. India; Indonesia (Irian Jaya), PNG (PNG).
illaudatus Hardy, 1961: 94. New Caledonia (New Caledonia).
imitator Walker, 1835a: 470. Australia (NSW); widesp. Australia (excl. NT, WA).
    substita Walker, 1848: 121. Australia (NSW).
    fulvipennis Macquart, 1850: 321(17). Australia (NSW).
    ruficoxis Macquart, 1850: 321(17). Australia (NSW).
    elegans Jaennicke, 1867: 317. "Australia."
    helioscops Schiner, 1868: 20. Australia (NSW).
    marci, authors, not Linnaeus, 1758, misid.
obediens Osten Sacken, 1881a: 395. Indonesia (Irian Jaya); PNG (PNG).
plecioides Osten Sacken, 1881a: 396. Indonesia (Irian Jaya); PNG (PNG).
xuthopteron Hardy, 1968b: 450. Indonesia (Irian Jaya).

Genus DILOPHUS Meigen

PHILIA Meigen, 1800: 20. Suppressed by I.C.Z.N., 1963b: 339.
DILOPHUS Meigen, 1803: 264. Type species: Tipula febrilis Linnaeus, 1758, des. Latreille, 1810: 442. [Proposed without included species. Type designation is from first included species in Meigen, 1804: 115.]
aberratus Hardy, 1982c: 822. Australia (WA).
alpinus Harrison, 1990: 9. NZ (NZ).
arboreus Fitzgerald, 2004: 81. New Caledonia (New Caledonia)).
atripennis Hardy, 1982c: 824. Australia (NSW).
cantrelli Hardy, 1982c: 825. Australia (WA).
collessi Hardy, 1982c: 826. Australia (WA).
conformis Hardy, 1968b: 456. Indonesia (Irian Jaya); PNG (PNG).
conspicuus Hardy, 1982c: 828. Australia (WA); Australia (ACT, NSW, Qld, SA).
crinitus Hardy, 1951a: 262 (Philia ). NZ (NZ).
desistens Walker, 1861a: 332. Australia (NSW).
dichromatus Hardy, 1968b: 457. PNG (PNG); Indonesia (Irian Jaya).
discretus Hardy, 1982c: 830. Australia (ACT); Australia (NSW).
dubius Hardy, 1982c: 831. Australia (ACT); Australia (NSW).
exiguus Hardy, 1951a: 263 (Philia). PNG (PNG).
flavicrus Hardy, 1982c: 831. Australia (Vic); Australia (NSW).
fumipennis Harrison, 1990: 11. NZ (NZ).
gracilis Hardy, 1968a: 421. PNG (Bismarck Arch).
harrisoni Hardy, 1953c (Philia ): 515. NZ (NZ).
longipilosus Hardy, 1982c: 833. Australia (WA).
longirostris Macquart, 1850: 321(17). Australia (NSW); Australia (Qld, SA, Tas, Vic).
    rostrata Hardy, 1951a: 271 (Philia). Australia (NSW).
mcalpinei Hardy, 1982c: 836. Australia (NSW); Australia (Qld).
modicus Hardy, 1982c: 837. Australia (NSW); Australia (ACT, Tas).
multispinosus Hardy, 1951a: 266 (Philia ). PNG (PNG); Indonesia (Irian Jaya).
neoinsolitus Harrison, 1990: 13. NZ (NZ).
nigrostigma Walker, 1848: 121 (Bibio ). NZ (NZ); NZ (Chatham Is.).
    zealandicus Walker, 1858a: 235 (Bibio ). NZ (NZ).
    spectabilis Nowicki, 1875: 10. NZ (NZ).
occipitalis Coquillett in Baker, 1904: 20. USA; Hawaiian Is [introduced; ?established].
partitus Hardy, 1982c: 839. Australia (Qld).
parvus Hardy, 1982c: 841. Australia (Qld).
pictipes Skuse, 1889b: 1381. Australia (NSW); Australia (ACT, Tas, Vic).
prolixus Fitzgerald, 2004: 83. New Caledonia (New Caledonia)).
segnis Hutton, 1901: 194. NZ (NZ).
    insolitus Hutton, 1902b: 193. NZ (NZ).
    sequis, error for segnis.
sexspinosus Hardy, 1982c: 844. Australia (Qld).
skusei Hardy, 1982c: 845. Australia (NSW); Australia (Qld, SA, Vic, WA).
surrufus Hardy, 1982c: 847. Australia (NSW).
tersusHardy, 1982c: 848. Australia (Tas); Australia (NSW).
tetrascolus Hardy, 1982c: 850. Australia (ACT); Australia (NSW, Qld, SA, Tas, Vic).
transvestis Hardy, 1968b: 463. Indonesia (Irian Jaya).
tricuspidatus Hardy, 1982c: 851. Australia (WA).
tuthilli Hardy, 1953c: 518 (Philia ). NZ (NZ).
varipes Skuse, 1890d: 635. Australia (NSW); Australia (ACT, Qld, SA, Vic).     lecticollis Skuse, 1890d: 637. Australia (NSW).

Genus ENICOSCOLUS Hardy

ENICOSCOLUS Hardy, 1961: 81. Type species: Enicoscolus dolichocephalus Hardy, 1961, orig. des.
collessi Hardy, 1962a: 783. Australia (Qld); Indonesia (Irian Jaya), PNG (PNG).

Subfamily PLECIINAE
Genus PLECIA Wiedemann

PLECIA Wiedemann, 1828: 72. Type species: Hirtea fulvicollis Fabricius, 1805, des. Blanchard, 1840: 576.
acuminata Hardy, 1968b: 470. PNG (PNG).
affinidecora Hardy, 1968b: 470. PNG (PNG).
amplipennis Skuse, 1889b: 1372. Australia (Qld); Australia (NSW, NT), Indonesia (Irian Jaya), PNG (Bismarck Arch, PNG), Solomon Is, Vanuatu.
aruensis Edwards, 1925c: 159. Indonesia (Maluku); Australia (Qld), PNG (Bismarck Arch); Philippines.
bifida Hardy, 1968b: 474. PNG (PNG).
bisulca Hardy, 1968b: 477. PNG (PNG); Indonesia (Irian Jaya).
buruensis Edwards, 1926a: 135 [1926b: 165]. Indonesia (Maluku).
crenula Hardy, 1968b: 478. Australia (Qld).
curtispina Hardy, 1968b: 481. PNG (PNG).
cuspidata Hardy, 1968b: 481. Indonesia (Irian Jaya); PNG (PNG).
decora Hardy, 1950a: 78. PNG (PNG); Indonesia (Irian Jaya).
dimidiataMacquart, 1846: 148(20). Australia (Tas); Australia (ACT, NSW, Qld, Vic).
disjuncta Hardy, 1958b: 195. Indonesia (Irian Jaya).
diversa Hardy, 1958b: 209 (fumidula ssp.). PNG (Bismarck Arch); Indonesia (Irian Jaya), PNG (PNG); Philippines.
duplicis Hardy, 1968b: 486. PNG (PNG).
erebea Skuse, 1889b: 1375. Australia (NSW); Australia (Qld).
erebeoidea Hardy, 1982c: 814. Australia (Qld).
fumidula Edwards, 1933c: 244. Malaysia (Sabah); PNG (PNG).
gurneyi Hardy, 1950a: 79. PNG (Bougainville I).
hamata Hardy, 1968b: 489. PNG (PNG).
inconspicua Hardy, 1950a: 79. PNG (PNG); Indonesia (Irian Jaya).
intricata Hardy, 1968b: 491. PNG (PNG).
laffooni Hardy, 1950a: 80. Solomon Is.
lieftincki Hardy, 1968b: 493. Indonesia (Irian Jaya).
magnispina Hardy, 1958b: 206. Indonesia (Irian Jaya); PNG (PNG).
manni Hardy, 1950a: 82. Solomon Is.
monticola Hardy, 1958b: 209. PNG (PNG).
multilobata Hardy, 1968b: 495. PNG (PNG); Indonesia (Irian Jaya).
obtusicornis Hardy, 1968b: 496. PNG (PNG).
obtusilobata Hardy, 1968b: 497. PNG (PNG).
oculastra Hardy, 1968b: 499. Indonesia (Irian Jaya); PNG (PNG).
ornaticornis Skuse, 1889b: 1374. Australia (Qld).
palauensis Hardy, 1957a: 88. Belau.
patula Hardy, 1968b: 500. PNG (PNG); Indonesia (Irian Jaya).
propeforcipata Hardy, 1968b: 501. Indonesia (Irian Jaya).
propria Hardy, 1968b: 503. PNG (PNG).
pudica Hardy, 1968a: 420. PNG (Bismarck Arch).
rhinigera Hardy, 1968b: 504. Indonesia (Irian Jaya).
ruficornis Edwards, 1927c: 363. Indonesia (Maluku).
serrifera Hardy, 1968b: 505. PNG (PNG).
spilota Hardy, 1968b: 506. PNG (PNG).
stricta Hardy, 1968b: 508. PNG (PNG); Indonesia (Irian Jaya).
tetrascolata Hardy, 1968b: 509. PNG (PNG).
tridens Hardy, 1958b: 217. Indonesia (Irian Jaya).
trifida Hardy, 1968b: 510. PNG (PNG); Indonesia (Irian Jaya).

Subgenus HETEROPLECIA Hardy

HETEROPLECIA Hardy, 1950a: 75. Type species: Plecia visenda Hardy, 1950, orig. des.
imocellata Fitzgerald, 2004: 84. New Caledonia (New Caledonia).
lusca Fitzgerald, 2004: 86. New Caledonia (New Caledonia)).
visenda Hardy, 1950a: 75. Indonesia (Irian Jaya); PNG (PNG).

Last revised 21 May 2007