© Richard E. Lee Jr. Litinsects #25: Antarctic Midge Are you ready for a truly crazy-sounding fun fact? The Antarctic midge, a fly that measures 2-6 mm, is the largest fully terrestrial animal found on the entire continent of Antarctica! It might sound crazy but it’s true! Animals that you immediately associate with the continent, such as penguins and seals, are not purely terrestrial because they spend a large portion of their lives in the water. The islands surrounding Antarctica are home to a few other invertebrates including mites, springtails, earthworms, and nematodes but the midge is special because it is ENDEMIC to Antarctica, meaning it is found nowhere else on earth. These tiny guys are FLIGHTLESS. It is thought that they have evolved to have reduced wings to prevent being blown away by wind They feed on terrestrial algae, moss, detritus, and microorganisms Of all insect genomes sequenced so far, the Antarctic midge has the smallest, a...
Weekly fun facts about the world of insects