''Atherix ibis'', the yellow-legged water-snipefly, is a species of
ibis flies belonging to the family
Athericidae
Athericidae is a small family of flies known as water snipe flies or ibis flies. They used to be placed in the family Rhagionidae, but were removed by Stuckenberg in 1973. They are now known to be more closely related to Tabanidae. Species of At ...
, a small family very similar to
Rhagionidae
Rhagionidae or snipe flies are a small family of flies.
They get their name from the similarity of their often prominent proboscis that looks like the beak of a snipe.
Description
Rhagionidae are medium-sized to large flies with slender bodies a ...
(Snipe Flies).
[ ]
Distribution and habitat
This species is present in most of
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
and in the
Palearctic realm
The Palearctic or Palaearctic is the largest of the eight biogeographic realms of the Earth. It stretches across all of Eurasia north of the foothills of the Himalayas, and North Africa.
The realm consists of several bioregions: the Euro-Sibe ...
up to Japan.
Catalogue of life
/ref> These flies inhabit rivers with a clean and gentle to fast-flowing current.
Description
''Atherix ibis'' can reach a length of . These flies have a broad-built and slightly hairy body. The thorax is black and has two gray, narrow longitudinal stripes and a gray lateral band. In the male the abdomen is orange-brown with black markings, The female has a black abdomen with gray margins. The wings are large and strongly patterned, with dark brown veins. The legs are slim and yellow-brown colored. At the head there are the short, thick proboscis as well as the green compound eyes. Females of this species are very similar to ''Atherix marginata
''Atherix marginata'', the black-legged water-snipefly, is a species of ibis flies belonging to the family Athericidae, a small family very similar to the Rhagionidae (snipe flies).
Distribution
This species is present in most of Europe (Alban ...
'', but the latter has entirely black legs.[Atherix ibis on Flickr]
/ref>
The larvae of these flies are greenish-brown and reach a length of up to 20 millimeters. They have seven pairs of abdominal prolegs on the last segment.
Biology
Adults can be found from May to July. Oviposition begins in early June. The females, after mating, aggregate in large clumps and lay egg masses on tree branches overhanging rivers or under bridges over flowing waters. After a female has started laying eggs, the others follow soon. In such a way the first stage larvae will fall into the water, where they will start their life cycle.[Bent Lauge Madse]
Biological studies on adult water snipe fly, Atherix ibis (Fabricius, 1798) (Diptera: Athericidae): Old myths and new facts
/ref>
After oviposition, the females die, causing lumps of thousands of dead flies and their eggs. The larvae are predators. In fact a few days after oviposition, the larvae hatch and at first feed on the dead parents. Later, they fall into the water and feed on carrion, detritus and small invertebrates such as stoneflies, mayflies and caddisflies. They usually kill their preys with a venomous bite. The larvae occur mainly in clean, moderate to fast-flowing waters with stony or gravelly ground. Whether the adult flies are predators, feed on nectar or whether they are bloodsucking, it is not completely clear.[
]
References
Bibliography
* A. Minelli – La fauna in Italia – Touring Editore
* Di Paul S. Giller,Björn Malmqvist - The biology of streams and rivers – Oxford University Press
* Heiko Bellmann: Leben im Bach und Teich. Mosaik-Verlag, München 1998.
* Stubbs, A. and Drake, M - British Soldierflies and Their Allies: A Field Guide to the Larger British Brachycera, pp. 512 - British Entomological & Natural History Society
* Wesenberg-Lund: Biologie der Süßwasserinsekten, S. 550–552, Nordisk Forlag, Kopenhagen 1943
External links
*
*
Bug Guide
Large mass of flies spotted dangling above River Torridge in Torrington
* George C. McGavi
Insects
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1655865
Athericidae
Insects described in 1798
Diptera of Europe
Taxa named by Johan Christian Fabricius