Gauromydas heros, a member of Mydidae, or Mydas Flies.
Two and a half inches long.
Four inch wingspan.
And from the looks of this picture: has teeth.
Never give the bio major a challenge. So help me, I'll bore you to death.
I found one.
In real life.
I was working at the only corner market in town that actually pays me to stand behind their counter and take money from people, and I glanced down at the produce scale to see the biggest fly in the world. It was about half an inch long, big enough that I could distinguish individual lenses on its compound eyes. So I took the fly swatter - whap - and it kind of curled up like insects do when they are in various states of not conscious. I tried to sweep it off the scale and it got stuck in the crack between the scale and the counter, and then a customer came to check out so I left it there temporarily.
A couple minutes later when the customers were gone, I scooped the fly out of the crevice with the swatter and, guess what? It stood up on the edge of the counter, stretching its wings like it had just roused from a little afternoon nap. A little surprised, I whacked it again with the fly swatter and it fell on the floor, where it lay kicking its legs until I picked it up with a paper towel and crushed it to death mercifully. (I say "mercifully" because I would rather be crushed to death quickly than knocked unconscious repeatedly until I died of brain damage, but perhaps it is different for flies. I was at least trying to be merciful.)
Now, I'm usually pretty effective with a fly swatter, even a $1 bargain piece like the one I had at work. So it surprised me a little to see the fly survive two good swats and still be moving. But the real shock came when the REAL biggest fly in the world, a good three-quarters of an inch, landed on my scale!
I snatched up the swatter again, brought it slowly to bear (so as not to spook the fly) and brought it thundering down as the pitiable little beast sat rubbing his feet together. I had learned my lesson about going easy on these things, about going easy on them and such.
So, imagine my surprise when I lifted the swatter away to see the tiny monster staring at me completely unharmed with a look in his eyes of "GAH WHAT THE HECK I'M ONLY TRYING TO CLEAN MY TASTE BUDS" and maybe a little anger. I was almost too shocked to respond, but my killer instinct kicked in (just ahead of my damaged pride and self-confidence) and I gave him another good thwack to finish him off.
Once again, I lifted my weapon to find the stupid little thing just SITTING THERE.
With the third swing, at least, I managed to break one of his legs and bend a wing out of place. I took the moment in which he was dazed to sweep him into the floor and perform the mercy killing, but not before considering a dishonorable crushing-with-the-foot in its place.
Gauromydas heros, a member of Mydidae, or Mydas Flies.
Two and a half inches long.
Four inch wingspan.
And from the looks of this picture: has teeth.
Never give the bio major a challenge. So help me, I'll bore you to death.
OK FINE
"biggest housefly*" and "real biggest housefly*," if I could still edit that post.
Can't a guy use hyperbole around here?
Um. Challenges. Sure. Find me the; biggest blood-feeding invertebrate, shortest vertebrate, shortest-living multicellular plant, aaaaannd... a Joker.
Um. Challenges. Sure. Find me the; biggest blood-feeding invertebrate, shortest vertebrate, shortest-living multicellular plant, aaaaannd... a Joker.
Now Kash, I was just playing around. 
Oh and Reverb?
Haementeria ghilianii, the Great Amazon Leech, reaching a lovely 18 inches.
Pandaka pygmaea, the Dwarf Goby, reaching only half an inch.
Brassica rapa, Field Mustard, has a life cycle of about five weeks.
Heath Ledger, late Australian film actor, holding another Joker.
Now Kash, I was just playing around.
Oh and Reverb?
Haementeria ghilianii, the Great Amazon Leech, reaching a lovely 18 inches.
Pandaka pygmaea, the Dwarf Goby, reaching only half an inch.
Brassica rapa, Field Mustard, has a life cycle of about five weeks.
Heath Ledger, late Australian film actor, holding another Joker.
Now Kash, I was just playing around.
Oh and Reverb?
Haementeria ghilianii, the Great Amazon Leech, reaching a lovely 18 inches.
Pandaka pygmaea, the Dwarf Goby, reaching only half an inch.
Brassica rapa, Field Mustard, has a life cycle of about five weeks.
Heath Ledger, late Australian film actor, holding another Joker.
...... WE'RE BUDDIES.......
Sorry Chimental, the world's shortest/smallest vertebrate is the Paedocypris progenetica of the carp family. At less than a centimeter in length, it's a tiny bugger.
Sorry Chimental, the world's shortest/smallest vertebrate is the Paedocypris progenetica of the carp family. At less than a centimeter in length, it's a tiny bugger.
...... WE'RE BUDDIES.......
Sorry Chimental, the world's shortest/smallest vertebrate is the Paedocypris progenetica of the carp family. At less than a centimeter in length, it's a tiny bugger.
I've been wanting to sneakily snake that in here..
I've been wanting to sneakily snake that in here..
Sorry Chimental, the world's shortest/smallest vertebrate is the Paedocypris progenetica of the carp family. At less than a centimeter in length, it's a tiny bugger.
Simply because, and this is a secret, that the internet is not always right.
You still use books? Real, honest-to-goodness paper books?
Sorry Chimental, the world's shortest/smallest vertebrate is the Paedocypris progenetica of the carp family. At less than a centimeter in length, it's a tiny bugger.
You still use books? Real, honest-to-goodness paper books?
We've got more books in our house than the town library.
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