'Mythical' corpse-eating fly rediscovered in Europe

?Mythical? corpse-eating fly back from extinction

Photo: Daniel Martin-Vega/Systematic Entomology Source: news.com.au

THIS species of fly was declared extinct more than 100 years ago. Here's the problem. It's still buzzing around, feasting merrily on decaying corpses.

The 'bone-skipper', or Centrophlebomyia anthropophaga if you're in a scientific mood, once developed quite a reputation for eating human remains. Not fresh remains, mind you. These flies prefer bodies in advanced stages of decomposition.

Thankfully, their diet isn't exclusively human. Bone-skippers love to pick over large animals, and researchers believe they flourished several centuries ago when those animals were more plentiful.

Incidentally, the flies are nicknamed bone-skippers because of the manner in which they skip along the bones of a decaying body, making it look "alive with larvae". My, what a beautiful image.

Bone-skippers supposedly disappeared about 160 years ago, and achieved near-mythical status in the scientific community. Yes, they have myths about flesh-eating flies.

But to nobody's great delight, the flies have recently been rediscovered in Europe, LiveScience reports.

Pierfilippo Carretti, a researcher at the Sapienza University of Rome and presumably the most Italian man alive, has worked with his colleagues to establish a "type-species" for the fly. That's the super-long scientific name mentioned above, and it allows researchers to classify and study the species with greater ease.

You can read all about Centrophlebomyia anthropophaga in Carretti's study here, down to the deepest, most disgusting details. Enjoy.