CAN’T TAKE MY EYES OFF YOU

Powerful peepers help this insect stand out from the crowd

The popular naturalist, author and TV presenter reveals a secret realm of overlooked wildlife FOR MOST PEOPLE, FLIES FALL INTO THE background noise. They rarely grab our attention, and unless they bite us or threaten our hygiene, we barely give them the time of day. Malaysian stalkeyed flies (Cyrtodiopsis dalmanni) are no exception. These tiny insects go about their business in the densely vegetated forest understory, where there is plenty of food in the form of rotting plant material. As far as flies go, they don’t even fly very much, or very well, preferring to scuttle around on spindly legs. Stalk-eyed flies are handsome creatures, though – a warm russet brown with white blotches on their wings and a pair of spiny protuberances on their thorax. But I’m skirting around…

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Bbc Wildlife (Digital) - 1 Issue, August 2024

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