March Flies - Family Bibionidae

Order Diptera

This page contains pictures and information about March Flies in Family Bibionidae that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.



The common name 'March Fly' is a bit confusing. In Europe and North America, the term 'March fly' is applied to the family Bibionidae. In Australia, 'March fly' is for other fly family Tabanidae.

Adults in this family are slow moving, usually dark in colour. They are nectar and pollen feeder. Larvae live in soil or plants, feeds on decaying plant materials.

We only found one species in this family.




Plecia amplipennis, body length 10mm

This fly was found outside our house in Eight Mile Plains during mid summer. The fly was black in colour with orange thorax. This colour scheme seems mimic a kind of wasp.



We found this mating pair in Anstead Forest on Mar 2009.


Mating pair Male, body length 7mm Female, body length 10mm



Found another mating pair in Anstead Forest on Aug 2009. It was a sunny late winter day. They were resting mating on a large gum tree trunk. They flied away still in pair after we took a few photos.

Reference:
1. Wildlife of Tropical North Queensland - Queensland Museum Publications 2000, p104.