Back with another odd animal trivia I learnt today!
So there's a species of fly called Diasemocera petrolei.
And as it's scientific name suggests, it has the unique ability to thrive in an environment that is super toxic for any other insect. Petroleum. Yes you read that right! Thedr little fellas have adapted to living life in pools of petroleum.
Not surprisingly, the species is commonly known as the petroleum fly and originates from California.
They are really small, about 5 mm long and their resistance to petroleum is so remarkable they can even submerge into it!
We know for a fact that most of their development from newly hatched larva and pupa takes place exclusively in petroleum. As for the eggs, we still don't know for sure if they are laid in oil or not.
In case you wonder, they don't feed directly on petroleum but on dead matter, like insects and other poor arthropods that become trapped in the sticky liquid. Having said that, their guts are routinely found filled with petroleum in amounts that would be deadly for all other insects.... and most other lifeforms. 😅
Here's a video I found with more info and some great footage if you'd like to learn more on the species:
What a fascinating creature!
P.S As always, I will leave a tag for 