It will interest you to know that there are over a million species of flies in the world. The fly life is an interesting top pick and one that should be read with excitement.
Flies have advantages as well as disadvantages, as some species have proven to be very stubborn and have become pesky pests to be controlled.
The life of a fly is important to farmers, scientists, students, and even you reading this article.
Introduction to the Fly Life
The life of a fly is one that needs to be studied, as it helps in various ways, such as the control of these pesky pests.
Even though flies are generally pests, you will come to find out at the end of this article that they still serve various benefits to us humans.
What is the life expectancy of a fly? well, flies have been studied to have a life expectancy of 15 to 30 days. It will also interest you to know that this life expectancy is dependent on 2 factors, including:
- Their surrounding environment
- Temperature
It has been observed that flies that are being kept in laboratories and even the ones that live in homes are prone to live longer than their fly counterparts that live in the wild. They even tend to have quicker metabolic rates.
The fly life is actually a brief one, and they tend to multiply at quicker rates if they are not studied and controlled. This is why having knowledge about the fly life is important.
Flies such as houseflies have been known to be carriers of diseases, which they mostly transmit during their feeding. When you see a fly perching on your food, there is a high possibility of disease transmission.
Read also:Â Why Do Flies Fly In A Circle?
What is the Lifespan of a Fly?
Stage 1 of the Fly Life – Egg
This is usually the first stage of the fly life. After the male fertilizes the eggs during mating, the female fly lays the eggs in clusters.
These eggs can take about 8 to 20 hours to hatch, depending on the environmental conditions (temperature included) surrounding them.
It should be noted that the female adult fly can lay about 300 eggs per day. Is that not just too much?
Stage 2 of the Fly Life – Larvae
Have you ever heard of maggots? Yes, that is the next stage the flies hatch into. This stage is also referred to as the larval stage of the fly life.
Remember in our last article about elm beetle control Sydney, we mentioned that these bugs have 3 instars in their larval stage? Well, the same applies to the flies.
During each instar stage, the larva molts (the shedding of the exoskeleton (cuticle) of the previous life stage) at a very quick pace.
Below is the length that the flies measure during each instar:
- 1st Instar: The larvae reach a length of 5–6 mm before molting to the next larval stage.
- 2nd Instar: The larvae reach a length of 10 mm before molting to the next larval stage.
- 3rd Instar: The larvae reach a length of 15-20 mm before growing into pupa.
We earlier stated that the growth of flies heavily depends on environmental conditions (temperature included). Cold temperatures can cause them to molt between instar stages in 2 months, but warmer temperatures will allow them to molt in 3 days.
Stage 3 of the Fly Life – Pupae
During this stage, the larvae you call maggots grow to look like their adult counterparts, only smaller and weaker.
In this stage, the flies (pupa) do not feed, but they go to find a safe location where they remain motionless for about 4 to 6 days (under warm temperatures).
While motionless and immobilized, the flies are enclosed in a puparium (the hard skin that is the remains of the larval stage).
They emerge as adult flies afterward.
Stage 4 of the Fly Life – Adult
In this stage, the flies are able to move again, unlike the stationary pupa stage. They fly in search of food and nutrition while also spreading diseases in the process.
After feeding, they look for suitable mates to fertilize their eggs. The female lays the eggs in an appropriate spot, and then the cycle starts all over again.
Why is it Important to Know the Fly Life?
- Control of the flies becomes easy.
- Flies, such as fruit flies, are studied for genetic experiments
Read also:Â Life Expectancy of a Fly
Conclusion
Understanding the fly life gives you an entry into the world of these insects and provides you with insights into how they grow, mate, reproduce their eggs, and even transmit diseases.
The life of a fly was definitely an interesting one. We have other importance of the fly life, but we would love for you our readers, to engage with us via the comments section below.
What do you think is the importance of understanding the life of a fly? Do let us know via the comment section below!
About The Author
Discover more from Pestclue
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.