Waved Light Fly Pyrgota undata
(c) Sam Kieschnick, some rights reserved (CC BY)
OrderFlies (Diptera)
FamilyScarab Pursuing Flies (Pyrgotidae)
GenusPyrgota (Pyrgota)
Don't let the delicate common name fool you—these waved light flies lead a sinister double life. Pyrgotidae flies are parasites of other insects, particularly beetles, employing a strategy of deception and biological warfare. Females lay eggs on unsuspecting hosts, and when the larvae hatch, they develop inside, hijacking the body of another creature. It's a gruesome but effective survival strategy that plays out invisibly in the insect world. These seemingly innocent flies are nature's stealth assassins.
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