Dilophus febrilis, Fever Fly

Common Name: Fever Fly

Dilophus febrilis, more commonly known as the Fever Fly, is our most widespread bibionid and the most abundant in many areas. It is the largest Dilophus (wing length up to 7mm), overlapping in size with the smaller Bibio species such as ferruginatus and nigriventris.

Females (pictured above) are easily distinguished from other Dilophus by the darkened wings with clear tips, males having clear wings and large heads. Under the microscope, both sexes have a unique arrangment of large blunt spines on the front tibiae.

Dilophus febrilis occurs in a wide variety of habitats and has two generations a year, the first peaking in May and early June and the second in July and August, and specimens can even be found into October. Adults can congregate in large numbers on the flowers of umbellifers such as Cow Parsley and Alexanders in spring and Angelica and Wild Parsnip in late summer.

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