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Plecia sp.

Plecia sp.


Family: Bibionidae
Order: Diptera
Class: Insecta
Phylum / Division: Arthropoda
Kingdom: Animalia

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Description


Plecia is a genus of March flies (Bibionidae) comprising many species, both extant and fossilised. Several species of this genus are commonly known as "lovebugs" due to their behavior of flying around coupled together while mating.

Extant species: 
  • P. acutirostris
  • P. adiastola
  • P. affinidecora
  • P. americana
  • P. amplipennis
  • P. aruensis
  • P. angularis
  • P. avicephaliforma
  • P. bicuspidata
  • P. bifida
  • P. bifoliolata
  • P. bisulca
  • P. boliviana
  • P. chinensis
  • P. crenula
  • P. curtispina
  • P. cuspidata
  • P. digitiformis
  • P. dileracabilis
  • P. dimidiata
  • P. duplicis
  • P. edwardsi
  • P. emeiensis
  • P. erebea
  • P. erebeoidea
  • P. forcipiformis
  • P. fulvicollis
  • P. hadrosoma
  • P. hamata
  • P. impilosa
  • P. intricata
  • P. javensis
  • P. lateralis
  • P. lieftincki
  • P. longifolia
  • P. longiforceps
  • P. lopesi
  • P. mandibuliformis
  • P. membranifera
  • P. multilobata
  • P. nagatomii
  • P. nearctica – Lovebug
  • P. obtusicornis
  • P. obtusilobata
  • P. oculastra
  • P. okadai
  • P. ornaticornis
  • P. patula
  • P. pellucida
  • P. persimilis
  • P. plagiata
  • P. propeforcipata
  • P. propria
  • P. protea
  • P. pruinosa
  • P. pudica
  • P. punctulata
  • P. ramosa
  • P. rhinigera
  • P. rostellata
  • P. rufangularis
  • P. ruficollis – Harlequin fly
  • P. rufimarginata
  • P. rufiscutella
  • P. rugosa
  • P. serrifera
  • P. spilota
  • P. stricta
  • P. tephra
  • P. tetrascolata
  • P. thulinigra
  • P. trifida
  • P. triquetra
  • P. trunca
  • P. xyele


Fossil species: Many fossil species have been assigned to Plecia with ages dating from the Cretaceous (Campanian) through the early Pleistocene (Gelasian):

Cretaceous: 
  • P. myersi (Campanian, Canadian Amber, MB)

Paleocene: 
  • P. undans (Thanetian, ArdTun head, UK)

Eocene: ;Ypresian, Allenby Formation, Canada
  • P. angustipennis
  • P. canadensis
  • P. elatior
  • P. minutula (Allenby Formation)
  • P. nana (Allenby Formation)
  • P. pictipennis (Allenby Formation)
  • P. pulchra (Allenby Formation)
  • P. pulla (Allenby Formation)
  • P. similkameena (Allenby Formation)
  • P. transitoria (Allenby Formation)
  • P. tulameenensis (Allenby Formation)
Ypresian, Driftwood shales, Canada
  • P. cairnesi
Ypresian, Horsefly Shales, Canada
  • P. avus
  • P. curtula
  • P. dilatata
  • P. platyptera (Horsefly Shales)
  • P. reducta (Horsefly Shales)
Ypresian, "Mission Creek site", Canada
  • P. kelownaensis
Ypresian, Oise amber, France
  • P. parisiensis
Ypresian, Green River Formation, USA
  • P. akerionana
  • P. dejecta
  • P. pealei
  • P. rhodopterina
  • P. winchesteri
  • P. woodruffi
Priabonian, Baltic Amber
  • P. borussica
  • P. brunniptera
  • P. clavifemur
  • P. hoffeinsorum
  • P. prisca
  • P. tenuicornis
Priabonian, France
  • P. angustiventris ( Célas site, France)
  • P. chapuisii
  • P. dumasi
  • P. foersteri
Pribonian, United Kingdom
  • P. acourti (Bembridge Marls, UK)
Priabonian, Florissant Formation, USA
  • P. axeliana
  • P. decapitata
  • P. explanata
  • P. gradata
  • P. melanderi
  • P. orycta
  • P. tessella


Oligocene: ;Rupelian, Brunstatt, France
  • P. gracillima
Rupelian, Corent, France
  • P. joannis
  • P. larteti
  • P. longipennis
  • P. pallida
  • P. rubescens
  • P. sauvagei
Rupelian, Calcaires de Vacheres Formation, France
  • P. assonensis
  • P. larguensis
  • P. maimensis
Rupelian, Chadrat, France
  • P. oustaleti
Chattian, Niveau du gypse d´Aix, France
  • P. livida
  • P. painvini
  • P. retracta
  • P. rhenana
Chattian, Camoins-les-Bains, France
  • P. theobaldi
Chattian, Rott Formation, Germany
  • P. collossea
  • P. conica
  • P. dubia
  • P. exigua
  • P. gracilenta
  • P. grossa
  • P. hypogaea
  • †P. inflata
  • P. luctuosa
  • P. luteola
  • P. lygaeoides
  • P. macrocephala
  • P. morio
  • P. pennata
  • P. pinguis
  • P. proserpina
  • P. rhenana
  • P. sturmi
  • P. stygia
  • P. winnertzi


Miocene: ;Aquitanian, Mexican amber, Mexico
  • P. pristina
Burdigalian, Shanwang Formation. China
  • P. aculeolata
  • P. bivalvula
  • P. capitata
  • P. diatoma
  • P. fumosa
  • P. gracilentula
  • P. ludongensis
  • P. platoptera
  • P. rectivenia
  • P. solaris
  • P. spinula
  • P. villosa
  • P. vulcania
Burdigalian, Kudia River site, Russia
  • P. amagua
  • P. obsitula
  • P. kuznetzovi
  • P. kudiella
  • P. redempta
  • P. refracta
Burdigalian - Langhian, Cypris Formation, Czech Republic
  • P. quaesita
Langhian, Chojabaru Formation, Japan
  • P. kanetakii
Serravallian, Radoboj Formation, Croatia
  • P. bucklandi
Serravallian, Oehningen beds Member (Upper Freshwater-Molasse), Germany
  • P. hilaris
  • P. jucunda
  • P. macilenta
Messinian, Monte Castellaro, Italy
  • P. baglii
  • P. castellaroi
  • P. pisaurensis


Pliocene: ;Piacenzian, Togo Formation, Japan
  • P. intima

Pleistocene: ;Gelasian, Lac Chambon, France
  • P. brunneipennis
  • P. vergnei

Revision of the Bibionidae fossil record from the Oligocene of Germany by Skartveit and Wedmann (2021) included the redescription of a number of
Plecia species.
  • Hesperinus heeri (formerly Plecia heeri and syn P. elegantula´´ )

Source: Wikipedia, article Plecia sp.. Content adapted from Wikipedia, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license. Accessed on 18/07/2026.





Geographic distribution


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Species photographs

Count: 9

Foto
Photography ID: 579006
♂ ♀
  Adult

Piriápolis
Maldonado
Uruguay
04/02/2024
Enrico H. Vicentini
Foto
Photography ID: 475242
 
Altas cumbres
Córdoba
Argentina
12/11/2021
Adrian Braidotti
Foto
Photography ID: 473086
♂ ♀
  Adult

Tacuarembó
Tacuarembo
Uruguay
11/07/2021
Guillermo Menéndez
Foto
Photography ID: 473048
♂ ♀
  Adult

Oberá
Misiones
Argentina
02/26/2021
Lucas Rubio
Foto
Photography ID: 362219
  Adult

Concordia
Entre Ríos
Argentina
09/23/2017
Eduardo Beltrocco
Foto
Photography ID: 349423
  Adult

Valle del Lunarejo
Rivera
Uruguay
08/29/2019
Mauricio Silvera
Foto
Photography ID: 333835
  Adult

Ituzaingó
Corrientes
Argentina
03/17/2019
Alec Earnshaw
Foto
Photography ID: 333834
  Adult

Ituzaingó
Corrientes
Argentina
03/17/2019
Alec Earnshaw
Foto
Photography ID: 234326
  Adult

Villa La Bolsa
Córdoba
Argentina
12/05/2017
Luis Carlos De Volder


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Species records

Count: 8



Page 1 of 1
Record IDDateExact timeCountryProvince / departmentPlaceFilmedPhotographedRecorded vocalObservedHeardWounded or deadNumber of individualsUser or BibliographyDetail
202018602/04/2024UruguayMaldonadoPunta Negra, PiriápolisEnrico H. Vicentini
151557111/12/2021ArgentinaCórdobaLos Gigantes, Altas cumbresAdrian Braidotti
150731407/11/2021UruguayTacuaremboEstablecimiento Bichadero, Cuchilla de Laureles, TacuarembóGuillermo Menéndez
150716126/02/2021ArgentinaMisionesGranja La Lechuza, OberáLucas Rubio
130342529/08/2019UruguayRiveraValle del LunarejoMauricio Silvera
130342417/03/2019ArgentinaCorrientesReserva Natural Municipal Zanjón Loreto, ItuzaingóAlec Earnshaw
65978205/12/2017ArgentinaCórdobaSobre Calle La Rioja, entre Neuquen y Champanian, Villa La BolsaLuis Carlos De Volder
130360723/09/2017ArgentinaEntre RíosInta Estación Experimental, ConcordiaEduardo Beltrocco
Page 1 of 1

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Recommended citation
Please use the following reference when citing this species account.
EcoRegistros. 2026. Plecia sp. – Species account. Accessed from www.ecoregistros.org on 15/09/2026.