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