Drosophila bifurca

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Drosophila bifurca
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Diptera Family: Drosophilidae Subfamily: Drosophilinae Genus: Drosophila Species group: repleta group Species subgroup: hydei subgroup Species complex: bifurca complex Species: D. bifurca
Binomial name
Drosophila bifurca

Drosophila bifurca is a species of fruit fly. Males of this species are known to have the longest sperm cells of any organism on Earth, an astonishing 5.8 cm long when uncoiled.^[1] The cells are mostly tail, and are delivered to the females in tangled coils. In a male's entire life he can only make a few hundred such cells. The other members of the genus Drosophila also make very few, giant sperm cells, with D. bifurca's being the longest.

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LiveScience article