PBDB Taxon

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Plecia (love bug)

Insecta - Diptera - Bibionidae

Taxonomy

Plecia was named by Wiedemann (1823). It is extant. It is the type genus of Pleciinae.

It was assigned to Bibioninae by Theobald (1937); to Penthetriidae by Hong and Wang (1985); to Bibionidae by Aldrich (1905), Cockerell (1921), Meunier (1923), Cockerell (1925), Pongrácz (1931), James (1937), James (1938), Zeuner (1941), Statz (1943), Rice (1959) and Carpenter (1992); to Plecinae by Nel et al. (2019); and to Pleciinae by Zhang (1989), Wappler (2003), Skartveit (2009), Skartveit and Ansorge (2020) and Skartveit and Wedmann (2021).

Species

Bibio cylindratus, Clothonopsis, Clothonopsis miocenica, P. acourti, P. aculeolata, P. akerionana, P. amagua, P. angustipennis, P. angustiventris, P. assonensis, P. avus, P. axeliana, P. baglii, P. bivalvula, P. borussica, P. brunneipennis, P. brunniptera, P. bucklandi (syn. Penthetria edwardsi, P. dilatativentris, Protomyia elegans, Protomyia gracilis), P. cairnesi, P. canadensis, P. capitata, P. castellaroi, P. chapuisii, P. clavifemur, P. collossea (syn. P. superba, P. philippi, P. imperialis), P. conica (syn. P. haennii), P. curtula (syn. Penthetria avunculus), P. decapitata, P. dejecta, P. diatoma, P. dilatata, P. dubia (syn. Protomyia abava, P. satyrus, Helophilus primarius), P. dumasi, P. elatior, P. exigua, P. explanata, P. exposititia, P. foersteri (syn. P. oviformis, P. splendida), P. fumosa, P. gracilenta, P. gracilentula (syn. P. gracilenta), P. gracillima, P. gradata, P. grossa, P. hilaris, P. hoffeinsorum (syn. P. tenuicornis), P. hypogaea (syn. Protomyia antenata, Protomyia expositia, Protomyia grandaeva, P. pulchella, Protomyia elongata), P. inflata, P. inflata, P. intima, P. joannis, P. jucunda (syn. Protomyia affinis), P. kanetakii, P. kelownaensis, P. kudiella, P. kuznetzovi, P. larguensis, P. larteti, P. livida (syn. Protomyia brevipennis, P. goreti, P. fusciventris, P. maculitarsis, P. cerestensis, P. maculiventris, P. brevithoracis, P. flichei, P. constricta), P. longipennis, P. luctuosa, P. ludongensis, P. lugubris, P. luteola, P. lygaeoides (syn. P. guinieri, Protomyia latipennis, P. acutiventris, Bibio detractus), P. macilenta, P. macrocephala (syn. Protomyia schineri), P. maimensis, P. melanderi, P. minutula, P. morio, P. myersi, P. nana, P. obsitula, P. orycta, P. oustaleti, P. painvini, P. pallida, P. parisiensis, P. pealei, P. pennata, P. pictipennis (syn. Penthetria lambei, Penthetria separanda, Penthetria ovalis), P. pinguis (syn. Protomyia lapidaria, P. vulpina, Bibio brachypteroides), P. pisaurensis, P. platoptera, P. platyptera, P. prisca, P. pristina, P. proserpina, P. pulchra, P. pulla (syn. Penthetria brevipes), P. quaesita, P. rectivenia, P. redempta, P. reducta, P. refracta, P. retracta, P. rhenana, P. rhodopterina, P. rubescens, P. sauvagei, P. similkameena, P. sluiteri, P. solaris, P. spinula, P. sturmi, P. stygia (syn. Protomyia veterana), P. tessella, P. theobaldi (syn. Bibio nigripennis), P. transitoria (syn. Penthetria fragmentum, Penthetria falcatula), P. tulameenensis, P. undans, P. vergnei, P. villosa, P. volgeri, P. vulcania, P. winchesteri, P. winnertzi, P. woodruffi

Sister genera

Clothonopsis

Synonyms

Plecia pallida was named by Oustalet (1870). It is a compression fossil. Its type locality is Corent (MNHN collection), which is in a Rupelian lacustrine - large marl in France.

It was recombined as Penthetria pallida by Evenhuis (1994); it was considered a nomen dubium by Skartveit and Nel (2017).
Bibio painvini was named by Meunier (1915). It is a compression fossil. Its type locality is Aix-en-Provence (Coquand collection), which is in a Chattian lacustrine - large limestone in the Niveau du gypse d'Aix Formation of France.

It was considered a nomen dubium by Skartveit and Nel (2017).
Plecia retracta was named by Theobald (1937). Its type specimen is Coll Inst. Geol. Lyon A 80, an exoskeleton, and it is a compression fossil. Its type locality is Aix-en-Provence (Inst. Geol. Lyon), which is in a Chattian lacustrine - large limestone in the Niveau du gypse d'Aix Formation of France.

It was considered a nomen dubium by Skartveit and Nel (2017).
Clothonopsis was named by Hong and Wang (1987).

It was considered a nomen dubium by Zhang (1993) and Zhang et al. (1994).

It was assigned to Clothodidae by Hong and Wang (1987).
Clothonopsis miocenica was named by Hong and Wang (1987). Its type specimen is Beijing Natural History Museum 80195, an exoskeleton, and it is a compression fossil. Its type locality is Shanwang, Linqu County, collection 79/80 (Beijing Museum), which is in a Burdigalian lacustrine - large mudstone in the Shanwang Formation of China.

It was considered a nomen dubium by Zhang (1993) and Zhang et al. (1994).
Bibio cylindratus was named by Oustalet (1870). It is a compression fossil. Its type locality is Corent (MNHN collection), which is in a Rupelian lacustrine - large marl in France.

It was considered a nomen dubium by Skartveit and Nel (2017).
Bibio lartetii was named by Oustalet (1870). It is a compression fossil.

It was recombined as Plecia lartetii by Brongniart (1878); it was corrected as Bibio larteti by Evenhuis (1994); it was considered a nomen dubium by Skartveit and Nel (2017).
Protomyia longipennis was named by Oustalet (1870). It is a compression fossil. Its type locality is Corent (MNHN collection), which is in a Rupelian lacustrine - large marl in France.

It was recombined as Penthetria longipennis by Evenhuis (1994); it was considered a nomen dubium by Skartveit and Nel (2017).
Protomyia joannis was named by Oustalet (1870). It is a compression fossil.

It was recombined as Plecia joannis by Brongniart (1878) and Fitzgerald (2004); it was recombined as Penthetria joannis by Evenhuis (1994); it was considered a nomen dubium by Skartveit and Nel (2017).
Protomyia sauvagei was named by Oustalet (1870). It is a compression fossil. Its type locality is Corent (MNHN collection), which is in a Rupelian lacustrine - large marl in France.

It was recombined as Plecia sauvagei by Brongniart (1878); it was recombined as Penthetria sauvagei by Evenhuis (1994); it was considered a nomen dubium by Skartveit and Nel (2017).
Epiplecia was named by Giard (1879).

It was synonymized subjectively with Penthetria by Evenhuis (1994); it was synonymized subjectively with Plecia by Fitzgerald (2004).

Synonymy list

Year	Name and author
1823	Plecia Wiedemann p. 72
1870	Plecia pallida Oustalet p. 118 figs. Pl 3, figs 11-13
1870	Bibio cylindratus Oustalet p. 133 figs. Pl 4, fig 12
1870	Bibio lartetii Oustalet p. 137 figs. Pl 4, figs 10,14
1870	Protomyia longipennis Oustalet p. 141 figs. Pl 6, fig 1
1870	Protomyia joannis Oustalet p. 143 figs. Pl 6, figs 4,14
1870	Protomyia sauvagei Oustalet p. 146 figs. Pl 6, fig 6
1878	Plecia joannis Brongniart p. 48
1878	Plecia lartetii Brongniart p. 48
1878	Plecia sauvagei Brongniart p. 48
1879	Epiplecia Giard
1891	Plecia pallida Förster p. 474 figs. Pl 14, fig 16
1905	Plecia Aldrich p. 164
1915	Bibio painvini Meunier p. 16 fig. 18
1921	Plecia Cockerell
1923	Plecia Meunier p. 86
1925	Plecia Cockerell p. 12
1931	Plecia Pongrácz p. 118
1937	Plecia James p. 241
1937	Plecia Theobald p. 133
1937	Bibio painvini Theobald p. 332
1937	Plecia retracta Theobald p. 341 figs. Pl XXII fig 4
1938	Plecia James p. 114
1941	Plecia Zeuner
1943	Plecia Statz
1959	Plecia Rice p. 8
1985	Plecia Hong and Wang p. 18
1987	Clothonopsis Hong and Wang p. 258
1987	Clothonopsis miocenica Hong and Wang p. 258 figs. Pl 1, fig 1; text-fig 1
1989	Plecia Zhang p. 328
1992	Plecia Carpenter
1994	Penthetria joannis Evenhuis
1994	Penthetria longipennis Evenhuis
1994	Penthetria pallida Evenhuis
1994	Penthetria sauvagei Evenhuis
1994	Bibio larteti Evenhuis p. 124
2003	Plecia Wappler p. 154
2004	Plecia joannis Fitzgerald p. 273
2009	Plecia Skartveit p. 14
2019	Plecia Nel et al. p. 534
2020	Plecia Skartveit and Ansorge p. 169
2021	Plecia Skartveit and Wedmann p. 19

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Rank	Name	Author
kingdom	Animalia	()
—	Bilateria
—	Eubilateria	Ax 1987
—	Protostomia
—	Ecdysozoa
—	Panarthropoda
phylum	Arthropoda	Latreille 1829
superclass	Hexapoda	Latreille 1825

Rank	Name	Author
class	Insecta
order	Diptera
—	Neodiptera	Michelsen 1994
infraorder	Bibionomorpha
superfamily	Bibionoidea
family	Bibionidae
subfamily	Pleciinae	Duda 1930
genus	Plecia	Wiedemann 1823

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

G. Plecia Wiedemann 1823 [love bug]

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†Plecia acourti Cockerell 1921

†Plecia aculeolata Zhang 1989

†Plecia akerionana Fitzgerald 1999

†Plecia amagua Cockerell 1925

†Plecia angustipennis Handlirsch 1910

†Plecia angustiventris Theobald 1937

†Plecia assonensis Gentilini 1993

†Plecia avus Handlirsch 1910

†Plecia axeliana Cockerell 1915

†Plecia baglii Gentilini 1991

†Plecia bivalvula Zhang 1993

†Plecia borussica Meunier 1904

†Plecia brunneipennis Piton 1939

†Plecia brunniptera Skartveit 2009

†Plecia bucklandi Heer 1849

Invalid names: Penthetria edwardsi Oustalet 1870 [synonym], Plecia dilatativentris Theobald 1937 [synonym], Protomyia elegans Heer 1856 [synonym], Protomyia gracilis Heer 1856 [synonym]

†Plecia cairnesi Rice 1959

†Plecia canadensis Handlirsch 1910

†Plecia capitata Zhang et al. 1994

†Plecia castellaroi Gentilini 1991

†Plecia chapuisii Oustalet 1872

†Plecia clavifemur Skartveit 2009

†Plecia collossea von Heyden and von Heyden 1865

Invalid names: Plecia imperialis Statz 1943 [synonym], Plecia philippi Statz 1943 [synonym], Plecia superba Meunier 1914 [synonym]

†Plecia conica Theobald 1937

Invalid names: Plecia haennii Gentilini 1993 [synonym]

†Plecia curtula Handlirsch 1910

Invalid names: Penthetria avunculus Handlirsch 1910 [synonym]

†Plecia decapitata Cockerell 1917

†Plecia dejecta Scudder 1890

†Plecia diatoma Zhang 1989

†Plecia dilatata Handlirsch 1910

†Plecia dubia Germar 1837

Invalid names: Helophilus primarius Germar 1837 [synonym], Plecia satyrus Statz 1943 [synonym], Protomyia abava von Heyden and von Heyden 1865 [synonym]

†Plecia dumasi Theobald 1937

†Plecia elatior Handlirsch 1910

†Plecia exigua Statz 1943

†Plecia explanata Cockerell 1917

†Plecia exposititia von Heyden 1865

†Plecia foersteri Theobald 1937

Invalid names: Plecia oviformis Theobald 1937 [synonym], Plecia splendida Theobald 1937 [synonym]

†Plecia fumosa Zhang et al. 1994

†Plecia gracilenta von Heyden and von Heyden 1865

†Plecia gracilentula Evenhuis 1994

Invalid names: Plecia gracilenta Zhang 1993 [replaced]

†Plecia gracillima Förster 1891

†Plecia gradata Melander 1949

†Plecia grossa von Heyden and von Heyden 1865

†Plecia hilaris Heer 1849

†Plecia hoffeinsorum Skartveit 2009

Invalid names: Plecia tenuicornis Skartveit 2009 [synonym]

†Plecia hypogaea von Heyden and von Heyden 1865

Invalid names: Plecia pulchella Meunier 1915 [synonym], Protomyia antenata von Heyden and von Heyden 1865 [synonym], Protomyia elongata von Heyden and von Heyden 1865 [synonym], Protomyia expositia von Heyden and von Heyden 1865 [synonym], Protomyia grandaeva von Heyden and von Heyden 1865 [synonym]

†Plecia inflata Oustalet 1870

†Plecia inflata Hull 1960

†Plecia intima Fujiyama and Iwao 1974

†Plecia jucunda Heer 1849

Invalid names: Protomyia affinis Heer 1849 [synonym]

†Plecia kanetakii Fujiyama 1970

†Plecia kelownaensis Rice 1959

†Plecia kudiella Cockerell 1925

†Plecia kuznetzovi Cockerell 1925

†Plecia larguensis Gentilini 1993

†Plecia livida Heer 1849

Invalid names: Plecia brevithoracis Theobald 1937 [synonym], Plecia cerestensis Theobald 1937 [synonym], Plecia constricta Theobald 1937 [synonym], Plecia flichei Theobald 1937 [synonym], Plecia fusciventris Theobald 1937 [synonym], Plecia goreti Theobald 1937 [synonym], Plecia maculitarsis Theobald 1937 [synonym], Plecia maculiventris Theobald 1937 [synonym], Protomyia brevipennis Heer 1856 [synonym]

†Plecia luctuosa von Heyden and von Heyden 1865

†Plecia ludongensis Hong and Wang 1985

†Plecia lugubris Heer 1849

†Plecia luteola von Heyden and von Heyden 1865

†Plecia lygaeoides Heer 1849

Invalid names: Bibio detractus Theobald 1937 [synonym], Plecia acutiventris Theobald 1937 [synonym], Plecia guinieri Theobald 1937 [synonym], Protomyia latipennis Heer 1849 [synonym]

†Plecia macilenta Skartveit and Pika 2014

†Plecia macrocephala von Heyden and von Heyden 1865

Invalid names: Protomyia schineri von Heyden and von Heyden 1865 [synonym]

†Plecia maimensis Gentilini 1993

†Plecia melanderi Cockerell 1911

†Plecia minutula Rice 1959

†Plecia morio Heer 1849

†Plecia myersi Peterson 1975

†Plecia nana Handlirsch 1910

†Plecia obsitula Cockerell 1925

†Plecia orycta Melander 1949

†Plecia oustaleti Brongniart 1876

†Plecia parisiensis Gee et al. 2001

†Plecia pealei Scudder 1890

†Plecia pennata Statz 1943

†Plecia pictipennis Handlirsch 1910

Invalid names: Penthetria lambei Handlirsch 1910 [synonym], Penthetria ovalis Handlirsch 1910 [synonym], Penthetria separanda Handlirsch 1910 [synonym]

†Plecia pinguis von Heyden and von Heyden 1865

Invalid names: Bibio brachypteroides Meunier 1915 [synonym], Plecia vulpina Statz 1943 [synonym], Protomyia lapidaria von Heyden and von Heyden 1865 [synonym]

†Plecia pisaurensis Gentilini 1991

†Plecia platoptera Zhang 1993

†Plecia platyptera Handlirsch 1910

†Plecia prisca Meunier 1899

†Plecia pristina Hardy 1971

†Plecia proserpina von Heyden and von Heyden 1865

†Plecia pulchra Handlirsch 1910

†Plecia pulla Handlirsch 1910

Invalid names: Penthetria brevipes Handlirsch 1910 [synonym]

†Plecia quaesita Novák 1878

†Plecia rectivenia Zhang 1989

†Plecia redempta Cockerell 1925

†Plecia reducta Handlirsch 1910

†Plecia refracta Cockerell 1925

†Plecia rhenana von Heyden and von Heyden 1865

†Plecia rhodopterina Cockerell 1925

†Plecia similkameena Scudder 1879

†Plecia sluiteri Meunier 1917

†Plecia solaris Zhang 1989

†Plecia spinula Zhang 1989

†Plecia sturmi Statz 1943

†Plecia stygia von Heyden and von Heyden 1865

Invalid names: Protomyia veterana von Heyden and von Heyden 1865 [synonym]

†Plecia tessella Melander 1949

†Plecia theobaldi Skartveit and Nel 2017

Invalid names: Bibio nigripennis Theobald 1937 [replaced]

†Plecia transitoria Handlirsch 1910

Invalid names: Penthetria falcatula Handlirsch 1910 [synonym], Penthetria fragmentum Handlirsch 1910 [synonym]

†Plecia tulameenensis Rice 1959

†Plecia undans Zeuner 1941

†Plecia vergnei Piton 1935

†Plecia villosa Zhang 1989

†Plecia volgeri Von Heyden 1859

†Plecia vulcania Zhang 1989

†Plecia winchesteri Cockerell 1917

†Plecia winnertzi von Heyden and von Heyden 1865

†Plecia woodruffi Cockerell 1916

Invalid names: Bibio cylindratus Oustalet 1870 [nomen dubium], Clothonopsis Hong and Wang 1987 [nomen dubium], Clothonopsis miocenica Hong and Wang 1987 [nomen dubium], Epiplecia Giard 1879 [synonym], Plecia joannis Oustalet 1870 [nomen dubium], Plecia larteti Oustalet 1870 [nomen dubium], Plecia longipennis Oustalet 1870 [nomen dubium], Plecia painvini Meunier 1915 [nomen dubium], Plecia pallida Oustalet 1870 [nomen dubium], Plecia retracta Theobald 1937 [nomen dubium], Plecia rubescens Oustalet 1870 [nomen dubium], Plecia sauvagei Oustalet 1870 [nomen dubium]

Diagnosis

No diagnoses are available