National Arboretum discovers two new species of 'flat-footed flies' in Korea

Published Nov 8, 2024

Tridge summary

The Korea Forest Service's National Arboretum has discovered two new species of the Platypezidae family of flies in Korea, which were until now undocumented. These flies, named 'Norangbaleori-papjakbalpae' and 'Boloknalgaeeori-papjakbalpae', were found in several areas including Chungnam, Gangwon, and Gyeongnam, and are believed to be present nationwide. These flies, which have flat and plump hind legs, are believed to play a crucial role in the ecosystem by serving as parasites, decomposers, and pollinators due to their diet of mushroom fruiting bodies and mycelia. There are approximately 2,400 recorded species of flies in Korea.

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Original content

(Pocheon=Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Do-yoon = The National Arboretum of the Korea Forest Service announced on the 8th that it discovered two species of the Platypezidae family that had never been recorded in Korea and reported them to the academic world. They were published in the November issue of the Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity under the Korean names of 'Norangbaleori-papjakbalpae' and 'Boloknalgaeeori-papjakbalpae'. The National Arboretum explained that these two species were found in several places including Chungnam, Gangwon, and Gyeongnam, and are presumed to be distributed nationwide. Unlike regular flies, the Platypezidae family has flat and plump hind legs. Since the larvae mainly eat the fruiting bodies or mycelia of mushrooms, they mostly grow in environments where humus accumulates. Kim Il-kwon, a researcher at the National Arboretum, said, "There is a perception that flies are pests, but in reality, they ...

Source: Yna