The larval stages are predators or parasitoids of the eggs and larvae of other insects. The adult females usually deposit eggs in the vicinity of possible hosts, quite often in the burrows of beetles, wasps, or solitary bees.
Larvae live parasitically in the nests of various solitary bees and wasps.[2] When the fly larva locates a host larva, it will consume it slowly, greatly increasing in size as it tightly holds onto the host, eventually becoming a pupa and overwintering.[9]
I guess if human babies attached and ate a host slowly before getting huge we wouldn't think of them as adorable. These flies are us in reverse, they start horrible then grow into teddy bears of the sky
robber fly, its basically the fly version of dragonfly, they love to intercept mosquitos and other fly prey. there is a quite a few parasitoid flies, that attacks different insect hosts. the strangest ones are BAT FLies, which has no wings and are mostly blind.
Oh, that's fair. I just vaguely assumed they were called bat flies because someone once upon a time thought they looked kinda like the fly version of some sorts of bats, but obviously didn't bother looking into that.
41 Comments
Zerush@lemmy.ml · 59 pts · 45d
Venezuelan Poodle Moth
https://ecoservantsproject.org/the-venezuelan-poodle-moth-a-fluffy-enigma-of-the-insect-world/
turtlesareneat@piefed.ca · 26 pts · 45d
It's cute but by the tilt of the eyes we know it's evil
BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today · 1 pts · 44d
More mischievous, I think.
NottaLottaOcelot@lemmy.ca · 12 pts · 45d
It looks like a felt art project! Yet another reason to conserve the rainforest
tpyo@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 44d
That's not real, as another commenter pointed out that looks like a felt animal
Below is what the "Venezuelan poodle moth" looks like, from https://www.flickr.com/photos/artour_a/4207478815/
via
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artace
specimen@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 44d
Somehow that looks even faker
Draconic_NEO@mander.xyz · 3 pts · 45d
They're cuter than the bee fly.
wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyz · 1 pts · 44d
I want one as a stuffie
turdas@suppo.fi · 50 pts · 45d
haha yeah, adorable
ynthrepic@lemmy.world · 22 pts · 45d
I mean we consider human babies adorable, and they can grow up do some pretty horrid things. Also cats.
fascicle@leminal.space · 17 pts · 45d
I guess if human babies attached and ate a host slowly before getting huge we wouldn't think of them as adorable. These flies are us in reverse, they start horrible then grow into teddy bears of the sky
zedgeist@lemmy.world · 12 pts · 45d
What do you think being pregnant is?
fascicle@leminal.space · 1 pts · 44d
Oh yeah that's true!
ynthrepic@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 44d
And parenthood.
mnemonicmonkeys@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 45d
Tbf, there's a lot of people that don't find babies cute
LibertyLizard@slrpnk.net · 11 pts · 45d
They kinda look like adult botflies too lol. Why do the most horrific things grow up to be so cute?
RogueBanana@piefed.zip · 4 pts · 45d
Me posing for a mugshot cutely after commiting horrific murder.
Ophrys@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 4 pts · 45d
Look, if you decide to be a beetle, you know the risks!
psx_crab@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 44d
Ladybug is adorbs, but they're a demonkin if you're something they eat.
BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today · 2 pts · 44d
You could make the human reproductive process sound pretty gross, too. But then we get all horned up, and it sounds like a great idea!
a_non_monotonic_function@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 44d
Sounds like nature stuff idk. Is cute though.
Tollana1234567@lemmy.today · 1 pts · 45d
robber fly, its basically the fly version of dragonfly, they love to intercept mosquitos and other fly prey. there is a quite a few parasitoid flies, that attacks different insect hosts. the strangest ones are BAT FLies, which has no wings and are mostly blind.
CatAssTrophy@safest.space · 1 pts · 44d
Why would bat flies have no wings? Bats famously have wings!
Tollana1234567@lemmy.today · 2 pts · 44d
bat flies, have evolved to cling to bat fur, they look like freaky spiders. apparently they are considered parasites on bats.
CatAssTrophy@safest.space · 1 pts · 44d
Oh, that's fair. I just vaguely assumed they were called bat flies because someone once upon a time thought they looked kinda like the fly version of some sorts of bats, but obviously didn't bother looking into that.
shweddy@lemmy.world · 39 pts · 45d
Cutiefly
VivianRixia@piefed.social · 20 pts · 45d
I too, immediately yelled Cutiefly when I saw the pic. So that's where it comes from. The real thing is just as adorable.
Meron35@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 44d
Inb4 Nintendo sues for copyright infringement
ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca · 32 pts · 45d
psx_crab@lemmy.zip · 6 pts · 45d
I thought Cutiefly is completely fictional, TIL.
Grandwolf319@sh.itjust.works · 18 pts · 45d
Humans: flies are so disgusting
God: lemme add a little bee in there
Humans: 0.0
JesusTheCarpenter@feddit.uk · 12 pts · 44d
I still stand by my standard fluffy bumble bee! They love my lavender!
pruwybn@discuss.tchncs.de · 11 pts · 45d
Bee flies? I sure hope it does!
FaceDeer@fedia.io · 11 pts · 45d
In the lower right photo I can hear him yelling "wheee!"
ExperimentalGuy@programming.dev · 9 pts · 45d
Who the fuck downvoted this
Zerush@lemmy.ml · 2 pts · 44d
https://121clicks.com/inspirations/adorable-macro-unseen-cute-bugs/
altphoto@lemmy.today · 2 pts · 45d
Maybe we can teach them to bee.
kaklerbitmap@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 44d
Oviballus vidae AKA the Sheepy Jumper
Quokka@quokk.au · 2 pts · 45d
I would’ve called them Fairbees.
LibertyLizard@slrpnk.net · 1 pts · 45d
Oh. My. God.
IAMgROOT@lemmy.wtf · 1 pts · 44d
miniature flying cat