The largest fly on the planet is the species Gauromydas heros, belonging to the family Mydinae of the Diptera order. The habitat of this insect is the forests of North America. The Russian name Gauromydas heros is a fighter fly. The species has a neotropical distribution (Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay).
The insect was first described in 1833 by the German entomologist Perty and entered the scientific literature under the systematic name Mydas heros. After 6 years, the species was assigned to the genus Gauromydas. In the English version, this insect is often called Mydas fly, which is not entirely correct, since in addition to the fighter fly, the Mydas family includes another 399 representatives of Diptera with different sizes.
General characteristics
The size of the largest fly on the planet is really impressive: the body length of an insect can reach 6-7 centimeters, and the wingspan is 10-12 cm. It would seem that this is not so much for an insect. Nevertheless, among the flies, Gauromydas heros looks like a real giant.
In 2005, a study was conducted that correlatedpossibilities of Diptera metabolism with body size and environmental conditions (temperature and composition of the atmosphere). As a result, it was found that the dimensions of Gauromydas heros are close to the maximum possible size for flies.
Nevertheless, the large dimensions do not prevent the insect from developing a good flight speed. Therefore, in a collision with a human body, Gauromydas heros can leave a decent bruise the size of a five-ruble coin. Whether this fly is dangerous in any other way is currently unknown.
Appearance and photo of the biggest fly
Gauromydas heros is a very beautiful fly almost the size of a human palm. The body of this insect is shiny black, with a smooth surface, and there is no visible hairiness. The wings of males can be whitish, brown or orange.
Gauromydas heros looks much nobler than most of its Diptera relatives. The appearance of this insect is more like a black wasp or a cicada.
Lifestyle
The biology of Gauromydas heros is currently very poorly understood, as adults (adults) are very rare. Males of this species are known to feed on flower nectar, while females do not feed at all. The larvae of Gauromydas heros are predators. They live in the home of ants of the genus Atta, preying on insects that eat ant meal. At the same time, immature insects act as food.
Because females lay their eggs in anthills, males circle over these earthen structures, controlling territory andproviding many matings.
Before transforming into an adult, the larva of the fighter fly digs a chamber in the soil and pupates.
