Bibio articulatus

Red-Legged March Fly (Bibio articulatus) female

Bibio articulatus
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Diptera
Family:	Bibionidae
Genus:	Bibio
Species:	B. articulatus
Binomial name
Bibio articulatus Say, 1823

Bibio articulatus, or the red-legged March fly, is a species of March fly in the family Bibionidae. Its distinctive features are its dark exoskeleton that varries from black to a deep red, and red/orange legs leading to its common name being "red-legged March fly."

Range

Bibio articulatus is most commonly found in the United States, east of the Rocky Mountains, all the way to the coast.

Habitat

Red-legged March flies can be found usually in rotting trees, or eating the leaves of plants without causing significant damage. They are also found in loose soil during their reproductive cycles.

Sexual dimorphism

The sexual dimorphism in Bibio articulatus is mainly limited to eye size and body size, but has a few other varying traits. Male red-legged March flies have eye formations that are dramatically larger and take up most of the head, while females have small eyes that sit on the side of the head; although females are often larger in size than males. Also, females will typically have more red midsections, while males will have more black, and occasionally males will have more clear wings.

Reproductive cycle

Bibio articulatus will usually begin appearing in March, and be most active during April and May before going dormant during June. After the mating period, the female Bibio articulatus will lay eggs in loose soil or decaying substrate. These eggs are usually small, oblong, and vary in color. The larvae will hatch resembling small, featureless, worms. The larvae will eventually encapsulate itself in a pupa and gain its coloration. At the emergence from the pupa, the adult red-legged March fly has functional wings and reproductive organs.