Bibio femoratus

Bibio femoratus is commonly known as the March Fly. Bibio femoratus is one of at least 90 types of March Flies, which occur in the United States and Canada. In the southeastern United States, especially around the Gulf Coast, Bibio femoratus is known as the lovebug.

General information

Bibio femoratus is a fly (Diptera) in the family Bibionidae. There are approximately 650-700 species known worldwide, with at least 90 of them in the genus Bibio. Bibio femoratus was described by the German entomologist Christian Rudolph Wilhelm Wiedemann in 1820.

Description

Bibio femoratus is medium sized and usually black, though the thorax and legs can be orange or red. The antennae are relatively short and thick, have 10 segments and are located low on the head. The wings usually have a dark spot on the leading edge about two thirds of the way out away from the body. The adults, which are usually abundant in early Spring, are known to form copulatory swarms, hence the term lovebug. Once fertilized, the females lay their eggs randomly on soil surfaces. The larvae develop during Fall and Winter and feed on decaying organic matter.

Bibio

Stephen Wilkinson (born 1978), better known as Bibio, is an English music producer. His music is primarily electronic and experimental in nature. He currently releases music on the Warp Records label, and previously on Mush Records.

Biography

A resident of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands, England, Wilkinson developed a passion for experimental music during his time at Middlesex University in London, where he studied "sonic arts". He developed his own style of music, drawing from contemporary experimental electronica bands such as Boards of Canada, and incorporating field recordings and found sounds. Electronically modified guitar melodies and droning synthesizer sounds are a recurring theme in his pieces, causing many people to label his music as a hybrid of electronica or intelligent dance music and folk music. Talking about his approach, Wilkinson has said "Electronic music doesn't have to be so grid like, it can be elasticated, more human." For a brief period Wilkinson was also a lecturer at Stafford College teaching Music Technology.

Bibio (fly)

Bibio, march flies or St. Mark's flies, is a genus of flies (Diptera).

Biology

Bibio larvae grow up in grassy areas and are herbivores and scavengers feeding on dead vegetation or living plant roots. Some species are found in compost.

In some areas, Bibio flies are regular flower visitors and they are suggested to be pollinators of several plant species, such as the Heracleum sphondylium and Hieracium pilosella.

Species