• Plecia Wiedemann, C.R.W. 1828. Aussereuropäische zweiflügelige Insekten. Als Fortsetzung des Meigenschen Werkes. Erster Theil. Hamm. : Schulz xxxii 608 pp. [72].

  Type species:

   Hirtea fulvicollis Fabricius, 1805 by subsequent designation, see Blanchard, C.E. 1840. Histoire naturelle des insectes. Orthoptères, névroptères, hémiptères, hymenoptères, lepidoptères et diptères. In [Laporte, F.L. de (Comte de Castlenau), ed.] Histoire naturelle des animaux articulés. Annelidés, crustacés, arachnides, myriapodes et insectes Tom. 3. Paris : Duméril. [576].

Excluded Taxa

Misidentifications

BIBIONIDAE: Plecia melanapsis (Wiedemann, 1828) [= Penthetria melanaspis Wiedemann, 1828] — Hardy, D.E. 1982. The Bibionidae (Diptera) of Australia. Australian Journal of Zoology 30: 805-855 [808]

Distribution

States

Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Afrotropical, Nearctic, Neotropical, Oriental and Palaearctic Regions, Indonesia, Micronesia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Ils, Vanuatu.

IBRA

ACT, NSW, NT, Qld, Tas, Vic: Australian Alps (AA), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Ben Lomond (BEL), Broken Hill Complex (BHC), Cobar Peneplain (CP), Daly Basin (DAB), Desert Uplands (DEU), Darling Riverine Plains (DRP), Einasleigh Uplands (EIU), Flinders (FLI), King (KIN), Murray Darling Depression (MDD), Mulga Lands (ML), Nandewar (NAN), Naracoorte Coastal Plain (NCP), New England Tablelands (NET), NSW North Coast (NNC), NSW South Western Slopes (NSS), Ord Victoria Plain (OVP), Riverina (RIV), Sydney Basin (SB), South East Coastal Plain (SCP), South East Corner (SEC), South Eastern Highlands (SEH), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Tasmanian Central Highlands (TCH), Tiwi Cobourg (TIW), Tasmanian Northern Midlands (TNM), Tasmanian Northern Slopes (TNS), Tasmanian South East (TSE), Tasmanian Southern Ranges (TSR), Tasmanian West (TWE), Victorian Midlands (VM), Victorian Volcanic Plain (VVP) ; ACT, NSW, NT, Qld, Tas, Vic, WA: Arnhem Coast (ARC), Arnhem Plateau (ARP), Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Central Arnhem (CA), Central Mackay Coast (CMC), Cape York Peninsula (CYP), Darwin Coastal (DAC), Pine Creek (PCK), Victoria Bonaparte (VB), Wet Tropics (WT) ; NSW, NT, Qld: Gulf Fall and Uplands (GFU) ; NSW, NT, Qld, WA: Gulf Coastal (GUC), Gulf Plains (GUP) ; NT, Qld, WA: Dampierland (DL), Northern Kimberley (NK)

Other Regions

Torres Strait Islands terrestrial, marine & freshwater

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • Australian Capital Territory
  • New South Wales: Murray-Darling basin, SE coastal
  • Northern Territory: N coastal
  • Queensland: Murray-Darling basin, NE coastal
  • Tasmania
  • Victoria
• Papua New Guinea
• Solomon Islands
• Vanuatu

Oriental Region

• Indonesia
• Philippines

Distribution References

General References

Hardy, D.E. 1958. The Plecia of the Pacific and Southeast Asia (Bibionidae-Diptera). Pacific Science 12: 185-220 [185] (taxonomy)

Hardy, D.E. 1982. The Bibionidae (Diptera) of Australia. Australian Journal of Zoology 30: 805-855 [809] (taxonomy)

Malloch, J.R. 1928. Notes on Australian Diptera. No. XVII. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 53: 598-617 [14 December] [602] (taxonomy)

History of changes

• Plecia amplipennis Skuse, F.A.A. 1889. Diptera of Australia. Part IV.—The Simuliidae and Bibionidae. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 2 3: 1363-1386 [1372].

  Type data:

   Syntype(s) ANIC(MMUS) ♀ adults (not found, number of specimens in type series not stated in original description), Cairns, QLD
  Comment: Hardy (1982) notes that the type is supposed to be in the Macleay Museum, but cannot be found, and may be lost. He does not mention syntypes.

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland

Extra Distribution Information

Widespread over northern Australia (Queensland, Northern Territory and one record from New South Wales), Indonesia, New Guinea, Bismarck Archipelago and Solomon Is. (Hardy, 1982).

IBRA

NSW, NT, Qld: Arnhem Coast (ARC), Arnhem Plateau (ARP), Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Central Arnhem (CA), Central Mackay Coast (CMC), Cape York Peninsula (CYP), Daly Basin (DAB), Darwin Coastal (DAC), Einasleigh Uplands (EIU), Gulf Fall and Uplands (GFU), Gulf Coastal (GUC), Gulf Plains (GUP), NSW North Coast (NNC), Pine Creek (PCK), Sydney Basin (SB), South East Corner (SEC), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Tiwi Cobourg (TIW), Victoria Bonaparte (VB), Wet Tropics (WT)

Other Regions

Torres Strait Islands terrestrial, marine & freshwater

Distribution References

Ecological Descriptors

Adult: volant.

Diagnosis

P. amplipennis fits in the decora group of species because of the highly modified ninth tergum of the male. The tergum is developed into large rounded lobes which extend well beyond the ninth sternum, are densely black setose (squamose) on their dorsal surfaces and apparently have a function in holding the female in copula. The group is highly developed in New Guinea. Plecia amplipennis is differentiated from all other species in this group by having the ninth sternum of the male very short and broad, three to four times wider than long; the claspers large, flattened and sharp pointed, extending nearly to the hind margin of the tergum, and the lobes of the tergum broadly rounded, very densely black setose on dorsal surfaces.

Diagnosis References

Hardy, D.E. 1982. The Bibionidae (Diptera) of Australia. Australian Journal of Zoology 30: 805-855 [810]

General References

Hardy, D.E. 1958. The Plecia of the Pacific and Southeast Asia (Bibionidae-Diptera). Pacific Science 12: 185-220 [190] (distribution)

Hardy, D.E. 1989. Superfamily Bibionoidea. 5. Family Bibionidae. pp. 122-124 in Evenhuis, N.L. (ed.). Catalog of the Diptera of the Australasian and Oceanian Regions. Honolulu and Leiden : Bishop Museum Press and E.J. Brill 1155 pp. [124] (distribution)

Malloch, J.R. 1928. Notes on Australian Diptera. No. XVII. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 53: 598-617 [14 December] [603] (resurrected from synonymy with Plecia fulvicollis (Fabricius, 1805))

Skuse, F.A.A. 1890. Diptera of Australia. Nematocera.—Supplement II. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 2 5(3): 595-640, Pl. XIX [635] (synonymy with Plecia fulvicollis (Fabricius, 1805))

History of changes

• Plecia aruensis Edwards, F.W. 1925. Diptera Nematocera from the Dutch East Indies. [II]. Treubia 6: 154-172 [159].

  Type data:

   Holotype BMNH ♂ adult, Aru Island (=Aru Island, Maluku, Indonesia).
  Paratype(s) BMNH ♀ ♂ adults.

Distribution

States

Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Widespread through the Moluccas, New Guinea, Bismarck Archipelago, Southern Philippines (Mindanao) and tropical Australia (Hardy, 1982).

IBRA

NT, Qld, WA: Arnhem Coast (ARC), Arnhem Plateau (ARP), Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Central Arnhem (CA), Central Mackay Coast (CMC), Cape York Peninsula (CYP), Darwin Coastal (DAC), Dampierland (DL), Gulf Coastal (GUC), Gulf Plains (GUP), Northern Kimberley (NK), Pine Creek (PCK), Victoria Bonaparte (VB), Wet Tropics (WT)

Other Regions

Torres Strait Islands terrestrial, marine & freshwater

Distribution References

Ecological Descriptors

Adult: volant.

Diagnosis

This species is intermediate in size between ornaticornis Skuse and amplipennis Skuse, and readily differentiated from all species which have the thorax entirely rufous by having the ninth sternum of the male produced into two median lobes, separated by a narrow 'V' and completely hiding the claspers from ventral view. The females are differentiated from ornaticornis by lacking a complete longitudinal keel down the middle of the front and by the terminalia.

Diagnosis References

Hardy, D.E. 1982. The Bibionidae (Diptera) of Australia. Australian Journal of Zoology 30: 805-855

General References

Hardy, D.E. 1958. The Plecia of the Pacific and Southeast Asia (Bibionidae-Diptera). Pacific Science 12: 185-220 [192] (distribution)

Hardy, D.E. 1968. Bibionidae (Diptera) of New Guinea. Pacific Insects 10: 443-513 [474] (distribution)

Hardy, D.E. 1982. The Bibionidae (Diptera) of Australia. Australian Journal of Zoology 30: 805-855 [810] (distribution)

History of changes

• Plecia crenula Hardy, D.E. 1968. Bibionidae (Diptera) of New Guinea. Pacific Insects 10: 443-513 [478].

  Type data:

   Holotype AMNH ♂ adult, Mount Finnigan, Shiptons Flat, Cape York Peninsula, QLD.
  Paratype(s) AMNH ♂ adult (12.IX.1948, Tate), Mt Finnegan, Cape York Pen., Rossville Creek Camp, 350 m; UH ♂ adult (12.IX.1948, Tate), Mt Finnegan, Cape York Pen.,Rossville Creek Camp, 350 m.

Introduction

This species is known only from Cape York Peninsula. Hardy included it in his study of Bibioinidae of New Guinea because he considered it closely related to P. patula Hardy, 1968, from New Guinea. Females are unknown.

The species is not included in Hardy's (1982) key to Australian Plecia, nor is it mentioned in the text.

Distribution

States

Queensland

Extra Distribution Information

Known only from type locality.

Australian Endemic.

IBRA

Qld: Wet Tropics (WT)

Ecological Descriptors

Adult: volant.

Diagnosis

This species from the Cape York Peninsula is obviously closely related to Plecia patulafrom New Guinea. It belongs in the Plecia ruficornis complex but has the posterolateral lobes of the sternum very short, not over 0.25 as long as the remainder of the sternum. It is differentiated from patula by having the posterolateral lobes indented at apices, and the claspers wider than long, rather truncate apically.

Diagnosis References

Hardy, D.E. 1968. Bibionidae (Diptera) of New Guinea. Pacific Insects 10: 443-513

General References

Hardy, D.E. 1968. Bibionidae (Diptera) of New Guinea. Pacific Insects 10: 443-513

History of changes

• Plecia dimidiata Macquart, J. 1846. Diptères exotiques nouveaux ou peu connus. Supplément. Mémoires de la Société des sciences, de l'agriculture et des arts de Lille 1844: 133-364, pls 1-20 [The date on the wrapper of the journal is 1846, the date on the title page is 1845. The last 4 pages of this paper in the journal (containing the index) are numbered 363, 364, 363, 364. The next article in the journal begins on page 365. The pagination of the reprint is continuous, thus the reprint appears to contain 2 additional pages. Reprinted with pagination 5-238, Roret, Paris, with "1846" on both the wrapper and title page. Reprint recorded in the 7 November 1846 issue of Bibliogr. Fr. The Bibliogr. Fr. mentions the journal version in the 22 August 1846 issue; it was presented by Macquart at the 22 July 1846 meeting of the Société Entomologique de France] [148] [the original description is on page 20 of the reprint edition].

  Type data:

   Holotype MNHP ♂ adult, TAS.

  Type locality references:

  Hardy, G.H. 1929. On the type locality of certain flies described by Macquart in "Diptères exotiques", supplement four. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 54: 61-64 (doubts concerning the veracity of Verreaux specimens labelled Tasmania).

Distribution

States

Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria

Extra Distribution Information

Widespread over Australia, recorded from many localities in Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, and Queensland.

Australian Endemic.

Ecological Descriptors

Adult: volant.

Diagnosis

The only Australian Plecia with the mesonotum predominantly or entirely subshining orange to rufous and the pleura brown to blackish. Typically the anterior portion of the mesonotum, to a level with hind margins of the humeri, is dark coloured, but occasional specimens may have the entire mesonotum rufous, especially in females, and occasionally the dorsum may be largely black, with orange only on the hind portion; rarely females will have the thorax all rufous. This species is differentiated by its distinctive male genitalia. The claspers (styli) are very large and conspicuous, with small dentations on apical edge, and extend well beyond the apices of the ninth sternum. The ninth sternum has its posterior margin not produced on sides, with a prominent lobe just inside the base of each clasper and a large truncate median lobe extending over the aedeagus.

Diagnosis References

Hardy, D.E. 1982. The Bibionidae (Diptera) of Australia. Australian Journal of Zoology 30: 805-855

Hardy, D.E. 1982. The Bibionidae (Diptera) of Australia. Australian Journal of Zoology 30: 805-855

History of changes

• Plecia erebea Skuse, F.A.A. 1889. Diptera of Australia. Part IV.—The Simuliidae and Bibionidae. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 2 3: 1363-1386 [1375].

  Type data:

   Lectotype ANIC(MMUS) ♂ adult, Lawson, Blue Mountains, NSW.
  Paralectotype(s) ANIC(MMUS) 3♀ adults; ANIC(MMUS) adult.

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Queensland

Extra Distribution Information

Australian Endemic.

IBRA

NSW, Qld: Brigalow Belt South (BBS), NSW North Coast (NNC), Sydney Basin (SB), South East Corner (SEC), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ)

Distribution References

Ecological Descriptors

Adult: volant.

History of changes

• Plecia erebeoidea Hardy, D.E. 1982. The Bibionidae (Diptera) of Australia. Australian Journal of Zoology 30: 805-855 [814].

  Type data:

   Holotype ANIC ♂ adult, Mount Spec, QLD.
  Paratype(s) ANIC 6♀ 7♂ adults; 11♀ 9♂ adults (QDPI/SAMA/USNM/BMNH/BPBM/UH).

Introduction

This species was described and illustrated by Hardy (1958, p.198, figs 10a-10c) as P. erebea Skuse, with a distribution in New South Wales and Queensland. He later (Hardy, 1982) separated the north Queensland material as Plecia erebeoidea, and noted that this species appears to be restricted to northern Queensland (Hardy, 1982).

Distribution

States

Queensland

Extra Distribution Information

This species was described and illustrated by Hardy (1958, p.198, figs 10a-10c) as P. erebea Skuse, with a distribution in New South Wales and Queensland. Plecia erebeoidea appears to be restricted to northern Queensland (Hardy, 1982).

Australian Endemic.

IBRA

Qld: Einasleigh Uplands (EIU), Wet Tropics (WT)

Distribution References

Ecological Descriptors

Adult: volant.

History of changes

• Plecia ornaticornis Skuse, F.A.A. 1889. Diptera of Australia. Part IV.—The Simuliidae and Bibionidae. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 2 3: 1363-1386 [1374].

  Type data:

   Lectotype ANIC(MMUS) ♂ adult, Cairns, QLD.
  Paralectotype(s) ANIC(MMUS) 2♀ adults.

Distribution

States

Queensland

Extra Distribution Information

Wide spread in Queensland, from Brisbane to Cape York Peninsula (Hardy, 1982).

Australian Endemic.

IBRA

Qld: Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Central Mackay Coast (CMC), Cape York Peninsula (CYP), Desert Uplands (DEU), Einasleigh Uplands (EIU), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Wet Tropics (WT)

Distribution References

Ecological Descriptors

Adult: volant.

History of changes