Plecia pealei (Love Bug or March Fly) | Eocene | Green River Formation

Plecia pealei (Love Bug or March Fly) Eocene Period (45-50 myo) Green River Formation, Wyoming Specimen approx. size: 0.4" x 0.75" wingspan Matrix approx. size: 3.25" x 3" Plecia pealei (Lovebug or March Fly) is an extinct species from the Bibionidae family of flies (Diptera). This specimen was found in the "fish layers", not the more prominent "leaf layers" of the Green River Formation. This Bibionid Fly specimen has wonderful detail. Preserved so well that even the wings and legs are easily visible to the naked eye. Prehistoric insects have inhabited the earth since before the time of the dinosaurs. There are various groups of insects that lived before recorded history and like today, they played a very important role in the food chain.