The world's largest fly encounters two new "rivals" and its supremacy is challenged

The world's largest fly, Gauromydas heros, can reach a body length of up to 7 cm. However, a new study says the newly discovered species may be larger than it in size.

Photograph by ANDRE ALVES

Author: James Owen, National Geographic

Two new challengers have emerged today for the world's largest fly species, and until then, the "two" have been "eating ashes" in the museum's old cupboards.

The newly discovered two species of flies have wingspans about the width of the palm and body lengths similar to those of the fingers, and are equally jaw-dropping with their world record-breaking closest relative, Gauromydas heros.

Scientists have found G. Mateus and G. Papaveroi are two species of flies. According to Julia Calhau, head of research at the Zoological Museum of the University of São Paulo, the specimens are the only known evidence of these two new species.

It is 4.3 cm long and has a wingspan of up to 9 cm, however, neither species has been able to exceed the size of G. heros, the largest known fly.

However, Calhau believes that if more of these two flies can be found in museums or in the wild in Latin America, they may well break new world records. "The body length range of G. heros is 32 to 70 mm, so the body length of these two new species may also fluctuate significantly," she said. On November 26, his findings were published in the journal Zootaxa.

Incomprehensible giants

Although specimens in museums indicate where these species were captured in Argentina, Brazil, and Costa Rica, it will be difficult to trace their offspring again.

Calhau said that we are very interested in G. Mateus and G. Nothing is known about papaveroi's habits, and even the previously known Gauromydas flies are elusive.

Torsten Dikow is an entomologist at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History and a world-class expert on the mydas flies to which these giant insects belong. But even he had never seen a living Creaturedas fly. "We know very little about their ecological habits because very few can be observed," he said. He was not involved in Calhau's research.

He said it might explain that "this fly is rare in the first place" and that adult flies "only come out for a small period of time each year."

In addition, these adult flies are similar in appearance and behavior to the tall, fast-flying spider-eating eagle bee. This can help flies scare off predators, but they may also scare entomologists away.

Although the Gauromydas flies are not of much harm, Dikow said, "You certainly don't want to be stung by such a big wasp." ”

Clues at the side of the nest

Much of what we know about giant flies is thanks to a successful finding of G. flies in the 1940s. Researcher of breeding sites for heros flies.

Scientists have observed fly mating near the nests of leafcutter ant, where they lay their eggs. The nest contains beetle larvae that feed on ant droppings, and the maggots that the eggs turn into feed on these beetle larvae.

Referring to the conclusions of the study, Calhau said: "I think they feed on nectar because they have mouth organs and have been observed to linger on flowers. ”

The newly discovered species may have the same habit, she said, because labels on the specimens show that some specimens were caught using nectar as bait.

Time will eventually prove that G. Mateus and G. Whether the papaveroi will win the title of the largest fly, however, they may not be able to compete for the crown of the heaviest fly.

Dikow said the Pantophthalmid flies, while short, may be heavier because they are more stocky.

These flies are also rare, so don't worry, you don't need to chop your hands to buy bigger fly shoots.

(Translator: MikeGao)