Creature of the day: The Stalk-eyed Fly Stalk-eyed flies are insects of the fly family Diopsidae. The family is distinguished from most other flies by most members of the family possessing "eyestalks": projections from the sides of the head with the eyes at the end. Some fly species from other families such as Drosophilidae, Platystomatidae, Richardiidae, and Tephritidae have similar heads, but the unique character of the Diopsidae is that their antennae are located on the stalk, rather than in

Stalk-eyed flies possess eye stalks that can sometimes be wider than their entire body length. While eye stalks are more commonly seen in mollusks and crustaceans, where they serve to extend vision, in these flies, they have a different purpose. In the world of stalk-eyed flies, wider eye stalks are a major attraction factor for females during mate selection. Interestingly, these flies aren't born with long eye stalks. After emerging from their pupal shells, they undergo a unique process of infl