Behind the hustle and bustle of the big world, there's a small, rarely noticed corner of the world, living among the grass and other shrubs in the wild. This time, I discovered a super tiny insect called the picture-winged fly, known in Latin as Physiphora alceae, and belonging to the Ulidiidae family. When hit by sunlight, its body reflects a beautiful shimmer that made me immediately fall in love with it.
The shimmering color varies depending on the direction of the sunlight. Sometimes it's metallic green, sometimes gold. When I get close, the shimmer changes to a faint blue hue. Strange but true. Not only does its body reflect this beautiful shimmer, but its wings also reflect a stunning shimmer. Its transparent wings are decorated with a unique pattern of crisscrossing lines.
However, it's also important to know that despite its tiny size, this insect plays a vital role in the ecosystem. One of its roles in the ecosystem is that it is made into a delicious snack by predators in the form of small birds, spiders and so on.
| Latin name | Physiphora alceae |
|---|---|
| Observation date | 26 Sep, 2025 |
| Camera used | realme 7 Pro |
| Photographers | @reachdreams |
| Location | Aceh, Indonesia |
| Link to original community |
|---|
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/317152832
| Latitude | Longitude | Map |
|---|---|---|
| 4.695135 | 96.7493993 | https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=4.695135&mlon=96.7493993 |
