Helaeomyia petrolei

Helaeomyia petrolei
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Family: Ephydridae
Subfamily: Discomyzinae
Tribe: Psilopini
Genus: Helaeomyia
Species:
H. petrolei
Binomial name
Helaeomyia petrolei
Synonyms

The petroleum fly, Diasemocera petrolei (until 2018 Helaeomyia petrolei[2]), is a species of fly from California, USA.[3] The larvae feed on dead insects and other arthropods that become trapped in naturally occurring petroleum pools, making this the only known insect species that develops in crude oil, a substance which is normally highly toxic to insects.[4]

  1. ^ a b Coquillett, D.W. (1899). "Description of a new Psilopa". The Canadian Entomologist. 31: 8. doi:10.4039/Ent318b-1. S2CID 86742528. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  2. ^ Zatwarnicki, Tadeusz (October 2018). "Solving the Puzzle of Taxonomic Position of the Petroleum Fly by Resurrection of Diasemocera Bezzi from Psilopa Fallén (Diptera: Ephydridae) with Proposed Specific and Generic Synonymies". Annales Zoologici. 68 (3): 527–552. doi:10.3161/00034541ANZ2018.68.3.012. ISSN 0003-4541.
  3. ^ Mathis, W.N.; Zatwarnicki, T. (1995). "World catalog of shore flies (Diptera: Ephydridae)". Memoirs of Entomology, International. 4: 1–423.
  4. ^ "Petroleum fly". Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia. Vol. 3: Insects (2nd ed.). The Gale Group. 2004. p. 367. ISBN 0-7876-5779-4.

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