No, it's not Damien Hirst's latest creation. The flies pinned down in this photo are from six of 30 new species discovered in the urban metropolis of Los Angeles, California.
The insects were identified as part of a project led by Emily Hartop of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, where local volunteers took part by setting up 24-hour insect traps at 30 sites across the city. "For us, it seemed like a no-brainer," says volunteer Walter Renwick. "We have two young bug-crazy children, a bug-crazy dad, and a very patient mom in our household."
Hartop then sifted through 10,000 fly specimens over a three-month period to identify the new species. Conveniently, each new member of the fly genus Megaselia could be matched to one of the backyards where it had been spotted, so researchers named each species after the corresponding citizen scientist.
The finds reveal a surprising biodiversity in LA, one of the most smog-choked cities in the US.
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