A New Species Of Fly Was Found In The Great Smoky Mountains

A recent article written by a team of researchers documents the finding of a new species of a type of fly known as a “gall midge.” The gall midge, with its official name being, Neostenoptera appalachiensis, was named after the Appalachian Mountain region where other similar species have been found. The recently discovered fly is the first of the genus, Neostenoptera, to be found on the North American continent.

The author of the academic publication that describes the discovery, as well as the features of the insect, admits that he found it ten years ago, but he did not recognize what type of bug he had found. Therefore, the researcher posted images of the bug to a popular website devoted to bug enthusiasts, and experts. Eventually, another researcher noticed the posting and recognized the fly. He immediately knew that the fly belonged to the genus Neostenoptera of Africa, specifically the Congo. The rest is history.

Have you ever encountered an insect that you thought might have counted as an undiscovered species?