About Bibio hortulanus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Bibio hortulanus (Linnaeus, 1758) can reach a body length of about 6.5–8.5 millimeters (0.26–0.33 inches), with a wing length of about 9.5 mm. This species shows clear sexual dimorphism. Males are completely black and slightly smaller than females. Their thorax is covered in black hairs, with gray hairs on the sides of the breast and abdomen. The head, proboscis, and palpi are blackish-brown, while the legs and halteres are black. Male eyes are enormous and contiguous, while female eyes are smaller and clearly separated. The short, robust antennae are inserted under the eyes. Male wings are transparent or whitish, with a brownish tint along the costa. In females, the dorsal surfaces of the thorax and abdomen are orange-red, while the prothorax and sides are black. The head, antennae, and palpi are black, and the legs are also black. Female wings are brownish-yellow, with a dark brown costa. This species is quite similar to Bibio pomonae, but Bibio pomonae has red-colored femurs. This species is found across most of Europe (including Austria, Belgium, the British Islands, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland), as well as in North Africa and the Middle East. These flies primarily live in woodland margins, meadows, flowering crops, and hedgerows.
