Diasemocera petrolei alias the oil flyis an amazing insect that not only survives in oila highly toxic substance to other animals, but thrives there too.
For tens of thousands of years, tar pits of La Breanear Los Angeles, California, are a death trap for millions of animals, some extinct, others still present today. Insects, birds, mammals, and even dinosaurs have all died in these slimy pits at one point, but one tiny insect species has managed to adapt to this incredibly toxic environment and use it to its advantage.
« Diasemocera petrolei » par James Bailey (CC BY-NC 4.0).
The oil fly, a biological curiosity
The oil fly, a flying insect the size of a fruit fly, is the only known insect species that can not only survive in the natural asphalt of the La Brea Tar Pits, but actually resides there. Its larvae develop in viscous oil while adult flies spend most of their lives wandering around the surface of the tar pits in search of food. Obviously, no one would want to use these larvae for Aztec caviar.
William Homan Thorpean eminent British zoologist, ethologist and ornithologist, once called Diasemocera petrolei “one of the world’s greatest biological curiosities.” Scientists still don’t understand how these tiny larvae can survive in La Brea’s toxic tar pits and even consume oil without adverse effects.
Photo credit Deep Look/Youtube.
Oil fly larvae spend their lives crawling through oil looking for insects and arthropods to consume. The La Brea tar pits still trap many critters every day, allowing the voracious larvae to always find something to eat. They breathe thanks to tiny air tubes located on the back of their translucent body, but experiments have shown that they can remain submerged in oil for long periods of time without any adverse effects.
Although oil fly larvae rely on the carcasses of dead insects and arthropods for food, they also absorb large quantities of oil for food, but this seems to have no effect on them. The toxic substance is visible through their translucent body, but it simply passes through their system without causing health problems. Even when exposed to 50% turpentine or 50% xylene in laboratory experiments, flies were not affected at all. Even when the temperature of the oil reaches 38 degrees Celsius, the larvae remain unfazed.
It is also interesting to note that oil fly larvae also use natural asphalt as moisturizingbecause crawling through it under the scorching sun keeps their bodies from drying out.
« Diasemocera petrolei » par James Bailey (CC BY-NC 4.0).
Larvae only leave oil wells to pupate, usually opting for grass stems at the edge of the pond. Mature oil flies have wings, but they rarely use them, spending their time wandering around the surface of the La Brea tar pits. Although their legs are perfectly equipped to navigate the toxic liquid, if their body or wings come into contact with the viscous liquid, they are all also vulnerable than any other insect and can become food for their own larvae.
La Brea tar pit fly larvae were discovered in 1899, but to date the mechanism that makes them immune to toxic natural asphalt is largely unknown.
Video of Diasemocera petrolei
Animal having undergone a particular evolution to adapt to a hostile environment like the icefish, here is a video on the oil fly and its mysterious adaptation:
Note that the taxonomy of this insect was previously Helaeomyia petrolei.
Via Oddity Central.
Another mysterious insect, also discover the assassin bug with its corpse shell.
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