Gauromydas heros

Gauromydas heros
Gauromydas heros
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Diptera
Family:	Mydidae
Genus:	Gauromydas
Species:	G. heros
Binomial name
Gauromydas heros (Perty, 1833)
Synonyms
Mydas heros Perty, 1833 Mydas praegrandis Austen, 1909 Gauromydas praegrandis (Austen, 1909) Gauromydas praegrandis (Austen, 1909) [1]

Gauromydas heros is a species of giant fly belonging to the family Mydidae. It is the largest species of the entire order of Diptera or true flies.[2]

Distribution

This species has a Neotropical distribution and is found in Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay and also in Colombia, in the latter country two populations were detected in Villavicencio, in the Department of Meta and in Manizales, in the Department of Caldas although there is a possibility that Gauromydas heros populations of Colombia are a different species.[1][3][4]

Mounted specimen

Description

Gauromydas heros can reach a length of 7 centimetres (2.8 in) and a wingspan of about 10 centimetres (3.9 in). It is the largest fly known. The wing membrane is whitish, brown or orange, with a hyaline apex and a posterior margin.[3][2]

Biology

Adult males are flower visitors, while females do not feed at all. Larvae live in the nest of ants (Atta species), feeding on immature insects. Mature larva dig a pupation chamber in the soil, then the imago emerges.[3][4]

See also

• List of largest insects

References

1. Asiloid Flies
2. Alomía, Camila (2024-04-12). "La mosca más grande del mundo mide 7 centímetros y está en tres países de Sudamérica". larepublica.pe (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-04-12.
3. Calhau Julia, Lamas Carlos José Einicker, Nihei Silvio Shigueo Review of the Gauromydas giant flies (Insecta, Diptera, Mydidae), with descriptions of two new species from Central and South America Magnolia Press, New Zealand ISSN 1175-5326 doi=10.11646/zootaxa.4048.3.3
4. Mándor, William; E, Julián A. Salazar (2015-01-01). "Presencia de Gauromydas heros (Perty, 1833) (DIPTERA: MYDIDAE) en nidos de Atta spp. (HYMENOPTERA: MYRMICINAE) en Caldas y Meta (Colombia)". Boletín Científico Centro de Museos Museo de Historia Natural (in Spanish). 19 (1): 215–220. doi:10.17151/bccm.2015.19.1.15. ISSN 2462-8190.