| Helaeomyia petrolei | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific 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 (Coquillett, 1899)[1]
| |
| Synonyms | |
| |
The petroleum fly, Helaeomyia petrolei (synonym Diasemocera 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]
- ^ a b Coquillett, D.W. (1899). "Description of a new Psilopa". The Canadian Entomologist. 31: 8. doi:10.4039/Ent318b-1. S2CID 86742528. Archived from the original on 18 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Mathis, W.N.; Zatwarnicki, T. (1995). "World catalog of shore flies (Diptera: Ephydridae)". Memoirs of Entomology, International. 4: 1–423.
- ^ "Petroleum fly". Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia. Vol. 3: Insects (2nd ed.). The Gale Group. 2004. p. 367. ISBN 0-7876-5779-4.