Vermitigris tsangyanggyatso — wormlion fly from the southern Himalayas

A wormlion fly from Yadong County in the southern Himalayas, the fifth recognised Vermitigris species and the first found outside tropical Southeast Asia. Its larvae dig funnel-shaped pit traps in loose soil and wait at the bottom for prey, the same hunting method as antlions, reached by convergent evolution. Adults are up to 19.5 mm long with a wingspan of nearly 16 mm, a warm reddish-brown to yellowish-brown abdomen and an exceptionally short rostrum, and may not feed at all. The species is named for Tsangyang Gyatso, the sixth Dalai Lama. News article: https://www.bioscience.com.pk/en/subject/biology/a-mysterious-creature-spotted-in-the-himalayas-in-1978-has-finally-been-identified-and-it-shouldnt-exist-there [https://www.bioscience.com.pk/en/subject/biology/a-mysterious-creature-spotted-in-the-himalayas-in-1978-has-finally-been-identified-and-it-shouldnt-exist-there] — Image: Vermitigris tsangyanggyatso, habitats and physical features, credit ZooKeys.