Some like it cold: Snow flies create their own heat to avoid freezing
- NITMB
- 4 hours ago
- 1 min read
A new study from NSF-Simons National Institute for Theory and Mathematics in Biology faculty member Marco Gallio and NITMB Deputy Director of Broader Impacts, William Kath, finds specialized 'snow flies' produce bursts of heat and antifreeze proteins.
Written by Amanda Morris
Mar 24, 2026
Snow flies might be undergoing an identity crisis.
In a new study, Northwestern University scientists explored how snow flies — small, wingless insects that crawl across snow to find mates and lay eggs — survive in freezing cold temperatures. They discovered this snow-dwelling fly uses a surprising combination of strategies: it generates its own body heat like a mammal and produces antifreeze proteins like an Arctic fish.
While sub-zero temperatures are a death sentence for most other insects, these adaptations allow snow flies to remain active at temperatures as low as -6 degrees Celsius (or 21.2 degrees Fahrenheit).
The findings shed light on how life has adapted to survive in extreme environments and potentially could inform new strategies for protecting cells, tissues and materials from cold damage.