| Stunning discovery: new
species of
stiletto fly, Former undergraduate Stephen D. Gaimari (BA Clark University, 1990), who went on to graduate work in entomology at Washington State (M.S.) and the University of Illinois (Ph.D.), has discovered a new species of stiletto fly which he has named Ozodiceromyia livdahli. No ordinary bottom-feeders, the larvae of this spectacular fly, found in Arizona and Mexico between 1000 and 2000 meters elevation, attack grubs and other insect larvae in the soil, including pests of agricultural crops!!
Astonishly, there seem to be no photos of adult O. livdahli, so here's an adult of a closely
related stiletto
fly, O. flavipennis.. O. livdahli looks quite a bit like this.
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Don't
miss out! View excerpts from Dr. Gaimari's paper describing this species (fear not, the boring parts, i.e. those concerning species other than O. livdahli, have been removed): 1) Abstract
and introduction 
Steve Gaimari, entomologist
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About the scientist: Dr. Gaimari, currently Program Supervisor at the Plant Pest Diagnostics Center, California Department of Food & Agriculture, chose to study insectsafter observing that if his professor could actually make a living doing that, then he certainly could, as well. While this is not Dr. Gaimari's first contribution to science, it certainly is his most important to date.  Above: Dr.
Gaimari as an undergraduate, on expedition in Bermuda. Dr.
Gaimari is on the right moped, not to be confused with Michelle
Willey (Ph.D. '95) on the left.
Life is about flies, mostly. |
