About Atherix ibis (Fabricius, 1798)
Atherix ibis (Fabricius, 1798) adult body length ranges from 9 to 11 millimetres (0.35–0.43 in). These flies have a broad, slightly hairy body. The black thorax bears two narrow gray longitudinal stripes and a gray lateral band. Males have an orange-brown abdomen with black markings, while females have a black abdomen with gray margins. Their wings are large with strong patterning and dark brown veins. The legs are slender and yellow-brown in color. On the head, there is a short, thick proboscis and green compound eyes. Females of this species are very similar to Atherix marginata, but Atherix marginata has entirely black legs. The greenish-brown larvae of Atherix ibis can reach a length of up to 20 millimeters, and have seven pairs of abdominal prolegs on their last segment. This species is found across most of Europe, and throughout the Palearctic realm as far east as Japan. It inhabits clean rivers with currents ranging from gentle to fast-flowing.
