Gauromydas heros

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Cladus: Ecdysozoa
Cladus: Panarthropoda
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Classis: Insecta
Cladus: Dicondylia
Subclassis: Pterygota
Cladus: Metapterygota
Infraclassis: Neoptera
Cladus: Eumetabola
Cladus: Endopterygota
Superordo: Panorpida
Cladus: Antliophora
Ordo: Diptera
Subordo: Brachycera
Infraordo: Asilomorpha
Superfamilia: Asiloidea

Familia: Mydidae
Subfamilia: Mydinae
Genus: Gauromydas
Species: Gauromydas heros

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.

Distribution

This species has a Neotropical distribution (Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay).[1][2]
Mounted specimen
Description

Gauromydas heros can reach a length of 32–70 millimetres (1.3–2.8 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.[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.[2]
See also

List of largest insects

References

Asiloid Flies
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