Bibio pomonae
Creators: name: Skartveit, John
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2010
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Bibionidae
Bibio
Bibio pomonae

description: Bibio pomonae (Fabricius, 1775) (®gures 12±18)   
Larva described by Morris (1921), who was not quite sure about its identity, con®rmed by Brindle (1962).  
Reddish brown, dull. Total length full-grown 20±25 mm. Processes rather long.  
 Head. Reddish. Head capsule width of sixth instar 0.99±1.23 mm (n = 55), of seventh instar 1.35±1.67 mm (n =167). Labrum (®gure 12) with one pair of short setae on the transverse carina. Mandible (®gure 13) with ®ve teeth. Maxilla (®gure 14) comb with six teeth, seta on outer front margin rather long. Inner surface with long and pointed spines, 10±14 round`holes’. Row of ®ve spines on membraneous area of maxillary palp. Prementum (®gure 14) with 10 sensillae. Stemmata present in most individuals but usually few and weakly pigmented. Antenna diameter ca 60 m m with one large and three to four smaller sensillae.   
 Body. Processes rather long. Dorsal processes arranged in three pairs, progressively shorter inwards. Posterior processes ca 3/5 as long as last segment. Postspiracular processes approximately 3.5 times as long as spiracle diameter, situated slightly more than one spiracle diameter posterior to spiracle. Cuticular scales: prothorax (®gure 15) in front of ®rst segment row rather rounded, 20±35 m m wide, each scale with 4±12 pointed spines which are slightly longer than the scale. In lateral view the spines appear rather strongly curved. Numerous smaller, unarmed scales between the larger, spine-bearing scales except in the very anterior end. The larger scales on the second and more posterior segments are rather irregular in outline. Metathorax (®gure 16) larger scales 30±50 m m wide mostly with one to four, but some with up to 12 spines. Fourth abdominal segment (®gure 17) larger scales 25± 45 m m wide mostly with one, but some with up to three spines. Ninth abdominal segment (®gure 18) scales diameter 25±45 m m, mostly with one short spine. Ventral surface scales of the ninth abdominal segment with rather large, single spines laterally, with tiny, slender spines mesally. Spiracles: projecting approximately onehalf spiracle diameter from body surface.   
 Distribution. All of Europe, but only in the highlands in the southern part. East Asia: Kamtchatka, Amur Area, probably generally distributed. Closely related species in East Asia (Bibio consanguineus Loew) and North America (Bibio holtii McAtee, B. bryanti Johnson).   
 Ecology. Eurytopical species. Deciduous forest, heathlands, mountain meadows, willow shrubbery. Full-grown larvae in June to September (probably also the rest of the year because of long life cycle). Life cycle length in mountain areas at least 2 years, possibly longer.   
 Material. Larvae: Norway, HOI: Ulvik, near Finse, Barber pitfall traps, 6 May to 16 September 1985, P. Ottesen leg. 222 larvae.
description: Published as part of Skartveit, John, 2010, The larvae of European Bibioninae (Diptera, Bibionidae), pp. 449-485 in Journal of Natural History 36 (4) on pages 458-460, DOI: 10.1080/00222930010023466, http://zenodo.org/record/5299771