St Mark's Fly - Bibio marci

Alternative names
Hawthorn Fly
Description

The male is about 12 mm and the female 14 mm. This is quite a hairy black insect. The males have large bulbous eyes and a rather tubular segmented body and black legs. The females have smoky wings and much a smaller head and eyes. The front legs have a stout spine at the tip of the tibia.

Similar Species

Other Bibio species are broadly similar, though B. marci is larger than most.

Identification difficulty
Habitat

Hedgerows and woodland edge, often in moist areas.

When to see it

Named after St. Marks day, 25th April, when they appear with amazing regularity. April - June.

Life History

When airborne, they fly in a sluggish manner above hedgerows and grass, with their long legs dangling down. The larvae feed on grass roots, leaf mould and decaying matter.

UK Status

Common and widespread in Britain.

VC55 Status

Common in Leicestershire and Rutland

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2025+ | 2020-2024 | pre-2020

UK Map

Species profile

Common names
St Marks Fly
Species group:
Craneflies, Gnats & Midges
Kingdom:
Animalia
Order:
Diptera
Family:
Bibionidae
Records on NatureSpot:
132
First record:
22/04/2009 (Calow, Graham)
Last record:
06/05/2024 (Hunt, Graham)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

10km squares with records

The latest images and records displayed below include those awaiting verification checks so we cannot guarantee that every identification is correct. Once accepted, the record displays a green tick.

In the Latest Records section, click on the header to sort A-Z, and again to sort Z-A. Use the header boxes to filter the list.

Latest images

Latest records