This parasitic fly gives birth inside of crickets
It’s pretty rare, but just like us mammals, some flies actually give live birth. One of them is a parasitic fly species Ormia ochracea (O. ochracea). A new study published this week in the Annals of the Entomological Society of America details how female O. ochracea flies develops its young and give live birth–while feeding on its host. “The findings also lay the groundwork for future genetic and developmental research in Ormia, a species already well-known in neuroethology for its miniature, highly directional auditory system and precise host-seeking behavior,” said Norman Lee, a study co-author and neuroscientist at St. Olaf College in Minnesota. Mammals are not the only members of the animal kingdom that reproduce through live birth. Many shark species including porbeagles, hammerheads, makos, and great whites give birth to live pups instead of laying eggs like other fish. Some frog species have young that burst out of their backs instead...