Discover How do flies reproduce?

The fly is a very annoying animal that we can find in our homes. Its lifespan is quite short, however, despite that it reproduces very quickly. Here we will discover how flies reproduce, their evolutionary cycle, lifespan and more. Don't stop reading it!

how flies reproduce

Taxonomy

Phylum arthropods or animal trunk that comprises more than 75% of animal species, characterized by being invertebrate metazoans of bilateral symmetry, characterized by having an external or exoskeleton and by presenting the body divided into a series of metameric segments arranged one after the other. others.

Within the arthropods we find a subtype called Insects that have a body clearly divided into head, thorax and abdomen, three pairs of legs and usually winged. There is the subgroup of pterygogens that are endowed with wings and there is the order or group of Diptera.

Flies are a group of species in the order Diptera that are found throughout the world. Among them we can mention the house fly (Musca domestica), the fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata) and the vinegar fly (Drosophila melanogaster).

Morphology

Diptera are distinguished from other insects by having only the first pair of wings well developed, since the second is reduced to small, almost invisible stumps that act as rocker arms. It comprises a large number of species made up mostly of flies and mosquitoes.

The forewings are membranous and their veins vary considerably depending on the species. The rocker arms are claviform organs that function as sensory receptors, capable of reflexively stimulating the movement of the wings and controlling posture during flight.

how flies reproduce

They have specific sensors that allow them to establish the best place to lay their eggs, in order to keep them well nourished and guarantee their development until they complete their evolution.

Its oral apparatus is licking - sucking, due to the regression of the sharp pieces, especially of the mandibles and maxillae, the lower lip being soft and dilated at its terminal end. Due to the formation of their antennae, they are brachycerans with the antennae formed only by three knuckles. Its body is short and thick and its legs are usually not very long.

The sense organs are made up of sensitive cells of an ectodermal nature that are often accompanied by hair or silk. Vibration receptor organs are typical of insects and are called scolopophores. The visual organs are formed by a cornea secreted by pigment cells, all the retinal cells are continued by means of individual nerves that form the optic or ocular nerve.

The organs of smell as well as taste are located on the antennae and on the palps of the mouthparts. The nervous system is of the ganglionic type and fundamentally consists of the union of several ganglionic complexes called supraesophageal, subesophageal and periesophageal. The digestive tract runs through its entire body from the anterior end, where it opens surrounded by the mouthparts, to the posterior end, where it ends through the anus in the last segment of the body.

The circulatory system is always incomplete and constitutes a lacunar system called hemocele, it presents a dorsal and tubular-shaped heart and part of it a series of arteries, more or less branched, that carry blood to various parts of the body, always ending in gaps and without forming in any case capillary networks.

how flies reproduce

The integument constitutes the exoskeleton and consists fundamentally of a cuticular formation secreted by the cells of the epidermis, here you can find various pigments that color the body, located in the epidermis or even in the underlying tissues.

They present complete metamorphosis and their larvae are apodous and headless because they lack eyes and antennae. Among the brachycera are the asiliids, orthorrhaphs represented by large flies with hairy bodies such as the Asilus Crabroniformis, whose carnivorous larvae are found under stones or buried. The Tabanids have a thick and compact body, although the males feed on plant pollen, the females are hematophagous, parasitic on various mammals including man, the tabanus common or Tabanus bovinus It is an ectoparasite of domestic cattle.

The Cyclorrhaphs are the Múscidas, an extensive family that includes most of the flies whose larvae are saprophagous, coprophagous, and in some cases carnivorous, and are found everywhere.

How do flies reproduce?

In the XNUMXth century, after studies carried out by the scientist Francesco Redi, the theory that the fly reproduced spontaneously from putrid meat could be disproved, and it was possible to demonstrate that the fly came from another already existing one.

The reproduction process is carried out in its adult stage, the male courts the female producing a sound or song produced by the vibrations of the seesaws that gives rise to the particular sound of the fly. On the other hand, the female estimates if the song and smell that she emits through the pheromones is of interest to her, if it is not to her liking, she continues moving, otherwise she stays still so that the male begins to copulate. a duration of about 10 minutes.

how flies reproduce

The flies are monogamous and mate once and can copulate even in the air while flying and can lay large numbers (hundreds) of eggs in a single fertilization. The male keeps his genital parts hidden, they are only exposed at the time of sexual intercourse, the female has a segmented telescopic ovipositor that dilates when laying eggs.

During the sexual act, the male introduces his genitalia into the female's telescopic ovipositor and releases the sperm that will fertilize the eggs.

The female reproductive system varies a little between the species in some its structure is soft as in the common fly or tends to be rigid as in the fruit fly this anatomical difference is related to the characteristics that these species present when depositing their eggs, the Fruit flies must pierce fruit skins or rinds to place their clutches in the pulp, and common flies only place their cargo in the area selected for that purpose. Then the female must find the right place to lay her eggs and can carry out the process of metamorphosis.

Fly life cycle

The fly goes through four phases that allow the realization of the metamorphosis being understood as egg, larva, pupa until reaching the adult stage, stage in which it can reproduce, this biological cycle can present small variations depending on the species in number of eggs and sizes. Its life time is quite short, but it will vary with the season of the year, its time is estimated from 7 to 10 days or 30 days. In hot seasons they reproduce faster.

Egg

Once mating is done, the female fly must locate a space where to lay her eggs. The space will depend on the species. The common fly lays its eggs in dark and humid places in organic material in the process of decomposition, and the fruit fly, as its name indicates it places it in fruits It can lay up to 150 eggs in each clutch and has the appearance of grains of rice.

The eggs tend to be rich in yolk, development is not direct, giving rise to a great variety of larval stages. The eggs mostly tend to hatch within 24 hours of expulsion.

Larvae

At this stage it presents the form of blind worms and feeds on the area where they were hatched, the larvae of the common fly feed on decomposing organic material and those of the fruit fly feed on the pulp of the fruits. Its main function is to feed itself as much as it can and thus guarantee the desired development. They shed their skin several times, during their last molt they look for a darker area to pupate.

Pupa

Once the larva is fed enough to begin the encapsulation process. Upon entering this phase, the larvae begin to present a worm-like shape, they are encapsulated in a hard, dark-colored skin, usually brown or reddish, here they have an estimated time of 3 to 6 days, during which time they do not feed and do not move. .

In this process, metamorphosis is being managed at the end of the process, the worm has legs and wings and the adult fly emerges, a process similar to that of butterflies. The duration of the metamorphosis will depend on the temperature in the heat the process is faster than in cold climates

Adulthood

At this stage, the adult fly is ready for mating 3 days after leaving the pupa, repeating the cycle that is usually quite short.

How are flies born?

Most of these insects are oviparous, which means that they locate a safe space with the right conditions to place and protect the eggs so that they can come to fruition. There is a group that are ovoviviparous, this means that the female keeps them in her body until the moment of laying, when the larvae come out.

How long does a fly live?

The life time of the fly is very variable, it will depend on several factors such as the species, the living and environmental conditions, since the better the climate and the food, they can live a few more days, we speak of 7 to 10 days. days and maximum 30 days. In the short time that it can be on earth, this animal will reproduce in an alarming way and lay thousands of eggs that will transform into flies and so on in an endless cycle, the fly has great adaptability to all possible environments and has allowed to populate the planet.

how flies reproduce

fly curiosities

Not all flies are as annoying as we think there are species that play a very important role in the ecosystem, we will highlight several types of flies that are of great help to man and help in the natural balance of our ecosystem.

Pollinators

Like butterflies and bees, there are pollinating flies. Their diet is based on the nectar of the flowers, they are responsible for transferring the pollen from one flower to another, thus helping to generate new plant formations and in turn the fruits or flowers that they generate. In this group we can find the family Calliphoridae (blue and green flies)

predators

As their name indicates, these predatory flies feed on other insects or spiders that are harmful to humans, contributing in some way to pest control in this group we can indicate the syrphids (family Syrphidae) and the thinner-looking whitefly of great resemblance to a bee or wasp.

Helps In Ecosystem Balance

The fly when digested They serve and provide nutrients for other animals, in flies there are species that are very dangerous because they transmit very serious diseases such as sleep and nagana produced by trypanosomes, by serving as food for other animals such as spiders, toads, frogs , some fish and birds help in the flow of the ecosystem allowing a natural control of pests.

Factors that influence the reproduction of the house fly

The flies for their reproduction are in search of dark places and that present a certain humidity so that they meet the necessary conditions for their evolution. On many occasions we give these insects the opportunity to use our houses as their breeding ground.

how flies reproduce

The indicated places in our houses can be uncovered drains, open garbage bags with food waste, pots with fruit trees are places that the female looks for so that the larvae can grow and feed.

Hot climates generate a greater spread of flies, this climate being ideal for them since the reproduction process is accelerated in this climate, producing an expansion of this animal in our homes.

How can we prevent the spread of the fly at home

Our home can be a potential breeding ground for flies, maintaining good cleaning habits will allow us to defend ourselves against the proliferation of this insect, we must keep the surface clean and tidy, avoid the accumulation of garbage and food waste, the main source for its spread as well as waste inorganic such as plastic containers, soft drinks.

Cleanliness is of great importance, the larva of the fly grows and strengthens in our garbage cans, food waste not packaged correctly, ripe fruits and vegetables without refrigeration help in accelerating their reproduction by providing them with ideal spaces for their propagation. Proper handling of fruits and vegetables is recommended as they are refrigerated, slowing down their decomposition, keeping the garbage bags sealed and emptying the container periodically.

Keep clean and dry mops free of food liquids you can also use professional insecticides to help remove them, let's not leave badly covered food could be harmful to health.

Cleaning drains and sewers is recommended to avoid the proliferation of larvae in these sites. It is in our hands that our home is free of flies by keeping active the fight against this animal that can invade your home. It is also recommended to use repellents for domestic use such as vinegar, infusions of aromatic herbs.

Do not leave without first reading the following articles:

The Reproduction of Birds

Reproduction of Animals

How to Repel Flies Effectively?


Be the first to comment

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked with *

*

*

  1. Responsible for the data: Actualidad Blog
  2. Purpose of the data: Control SPAM, comment management.
  3. Legitimation: Your consent
  4. Communication of the data: The data will not be communicated to third parties except by legal obligation.
  5. Data storage: Database hosted by Occentus Networks (EU)
  6. Rights: At any time you can limit, recover and delete your information.