The fly is a representative of the order Diptera. description, types, distribution, life cycle in photos and videos

A fly is a type of insect that is distributed throughout the world. In total there are more than 3650 species. The fly insect belongs to the order Diptera. The fly is a limitless center of various bacterial infections, parasitic nematodes and protozoa. They are carriers of both harmful and non-harmful bacteria for the human body.

Family: Flies

Class: Insects

Order: Diptera

Type: Arthropods

Kingdom: Animals

Domain: Eukaryotes

Description

The body varies in length. Often the length reaches 2 cm. There is a proboscis on the head. Its purpose is to absorb and absorb liquid.

The entire body of the fly will have only three parts. This is her head, her body and abdomen. The legs are three pairs. It is interesting that each such tiny leg, in turn, is also divided into 5 parts.

One of the 5 particles will be a foot and it, in turn, has two sharp claws. It is equipped with sticky pads.

And only these features will allow the front sight to move along the ceiling and any other vertical surfaces.

Bee

This is one of those insects that bring invaluable benefits to humans. They are loved by many... And internationally recognized as the most hardworking insects.

The bee's body is painted in black and yellow stripes, there are wings and a proboscis, with which they collect nectar (and, with the help of special saliva, turn it into honey). Every bee has a stinger, which is located in the back of the body; it serves for protection. When a bee thrusts its sting into an enemy, the sting remains in the victim, and the bee dies.

Interesting facts about bees

• A bee can sense a flower with nectar within one kilometer.
• The world's first beekeepers were the Egyptians.
• The most dangerous species of bees lives in Australia.
• Bees have a very highly developed sense of smell. They distinguish and perceive odors 1000 times stronger than humans. They are able to smell the scent of flowers at a distance of 1 kilometer.
• In order to collect just 1 kilogram of honey, a bee needs to visit 10 million flowers, make 150,000 flights and fly 300,000 kilometers.
• In one day, one bee can collect pollen from 7,000 flowers. To get just 100 grams of honey, a bee must fly a distance of 46,000 kilometers. This is the same distance as around the Earth at the equator.
• A bee swarm can weigh up to 7-8 kg, it consists of 50-60 thousand bees, having 2-3 kg of honey in their crops. During inclement weather, bees can feed on honey reserves for 8 days.
• A honey bee flaps its wings 200 times per second. She needs to make 11,400 strokes per minute to get the characteristic buzzing sound.
• A bee has 5 eyes. Three at the top of the head and two at the front.
• Bees have many enemies and “freeloaders”, so the entrance to the hive is reliably guarded by guards who are ready to attack an uninvited guest at any moment. No bee can enter someone else's hive. Each hive has a special smell that is not detectable by humans. Each bee stores this scent in a special cavity in its body. Flying up to the entrance, the bee opens it and presents the smell to the guards as its business card or pass.

Eyes

The eyes of this insect can safely be called unique - this is a special organ for such a small insect. They are endowed with several thousand facets, which makes a circular field of vision possible.

So the eyes of this fly can see everything without any problems. This applies not only to what happens to the side, but also to the rear.

№12

They need a small area. You think about these insects flying all over your house, accompanying you outside, etc. In fact, studies have shown that they do not need much space. On top of everything else, they fly very slowly, naturally, if you don’t chase them with a sneaker. The average speed of a fly is 7 km/h, which is slightly more than the speed of a person.

Usually she covers a distance of no more than 1000 meters per day. On average, a person covers 3-4 km per day.

Carrion

This beauty also has two names. The second one will be a green fly. This insect has a body that shines with emerald. They live near sewage and carrion.

To prevent the female from eating the male's fly after mating, he presents her with some food.

What kind of insect is this?

Flies are insects belonging to the order Diptera. What an insect looks like largely depends on what species it belongs to. For example, body sizes vary from 3–5 mm to 5–6 cm, and the color can be gray, black, green, or red.

But all flies have common features. This is a dense body, covered with densely growing hairs, transparent wings, large, complex eyes, short antennae, and a proboscis. Some representatives of the species are synanthropic insects, but most flies live in the wild.

Far from being a charming creature

Ilnitsa bee-eater

This is not a separate species, but just a subspecies of hoverflies. With a lot of names. This is both tenacious and just ordinary. The insect will be large and the length can often be up to about 1.5 cm.

The body is predominantly dark in color. The body is also characterized by the fact that it is covered with pubescence.

The larvae themselves, if they enter the human body, often cause serious intestinal disorders.

Order Diptera (Diptera)

Mosquitoes. Butterflies. flies

rice. 1. Scheme of the structure of the oral apparatus of the piercing-sucking Culex mosquito: 1 - mandibular palps, 2 - upper lip, 3 - upper jaw, 4 - lower jaw, 5 - hypopharynx, 6 - lower lip.

They have one pair of wings, the second pair is transformed into halteres (presumably an organ of balance). Head with large compound eyes on the sides. Mouthparts of the piercing-sucking or licking type. The chest segments are fused together. Adults can only absorb food in liquid form; among dipterans there are many blood-sucking species, and there are species that feed on nectar. Development with complete transformation. The larvae are worm-shaped, without legs; flies have no heads. The larvae develop in water, rotting substrates, animal and plant tissues, and soil.

The order Diptera is divided into suborders: Long-whiskered (Nematocera), Short-whiskered straight-stitched (Brachycera-Orthorrhapha), Short-whiskered round-stitched (Brachycera-Cyclorrhapha).

Representatives of the suborder Longwhiskers have long multi-segmented antennae, a larva with a head capsule and a covered pupa. Covered pupae are those in which the rudiments grow tightly to the body. The suborder Longwhiskers is divided into families: True mosquitoes (Culicidae), Butterflies (Psychodidae), etc.

rice. 2. Distinctive features of the malarial and common mosquitoes: 1 - “floats”, 2 - respiratory openings, 3 - palm-shaped hairs, 4 - respiratory siphon of the larva, 5 - respiratory siphon of the pupae, 6 - abdomen, 7 - mandibular palps.

True mosquitoes (Culicidae) usually hide in vegetation and indoors during the day, and at night they attack vertebrates, in particular humans, on whose blood they feed. Only female mosquitoes suck blood. In our region, the common mosquito of the genus Culex and the malaria mosquito of the genus Anopheles are often found. These mosquitoes lay their eggs in water. Larvae and pupae also develop in water. The Anopheles mosquito is called an anopheles mosquito because it transmits Plasmodium parasites. Differences between the malaria mosquito and the common mosquito are present at all stages of the life cycle (Fig. 2, 3).

The female malaria mosquito lays eggs singly, without sticking them to each other. The eggs have air “floats” and float on the surface of the water. The eggs of the malaria mosquito hatch into larvae that do not have a respiratory siphon; therefore, to breathe, the larva lies parallel to the surface of the water, pressing the respiratory openings against it.

The larvae of mosquitoes of the genus Culex have a respiratory siphon at the end of the abdomen, so they are positioned at an angle to the surface of the water to breathe.

Mosquito pupae also breathe atmospheric air; respiratory siphons are located on the cephalothorax. The respiratory siphon of the malaria mosquito pupa has the shape of a funnel, while the siphon of the common mosquito pupa has the shape of a tube.

rice. 3. Heads of malarial and common mosquitoes: A - female Culex, B - female Anopheles, C - male Culex, D - male Anopheles: 1 - proboscis, 2 - antennae, 3 - palps.

When landing, the abdomen of a malaria mosquito is at an angle to the surface, while that of an ordinary mosquito is parallel to the surface. The palps of the female malaria mosquito are equal in length to the proboscis. The palps of the female Culex mosquito are several times shorter than the proboscis. The palps of the male analaria mosquito are equal in length to the proboscis and have club-shaped thickenings. The palps of the male Culex mosquito are also equal in length to the proboscis, but do not have club-shaped thickenings.

Mosquitoes of the genus Culex can carry pathogens of Japanese encephalitis and yellow fever.

Butterflies (Psychodidae) are small dipterans with fluffy wings that have dense veining. This family includes mosquitoes of the genus Phlebotomus, which carry the pathogens of papatachi fever, cutaneous leishmaniasis, and visceral leishmaniasis (Fig. 4).

rice. 4. Mosquito (Phlebotomus sp.)

rice. 5. Tsetse fly (Glossina palpalis)

Representatives of the suborder Short-segmented round-stitched have very short three-segmented antennae with setae on the third segment. In larvae, the head capsule is reduced and only oral stylets are present. The pupa is free, located in the puparia - a shell made of unshed larval skin. When the fly emerges, the puparia opens along a rounded line, hence the name of the suborder. The suborder Short-whiskered round-stitched flies is divided into families: True flies (Muscidae), Gray blowflies (Sarcophagidae), Subcutaneous flies (Hypodermatidae), Stomach flies (Gastrophilidae), etc.

Among the representatives of the family True flies (Muscidae) there are many synanthropic species. The housefly (Musca domestica) is often found in cities. Its larvae develop in sewage, manure, garbage and garbage pits. Housefly larvae have extraintestinal digestion. Adults pose a danger to humans because they are mechanical carriers of bacterial spores, helminth eggs, and protozoan cysts (Fig. 6, 7).

rice. 6. Housefly: A - eggs, B, C - larvae of different ages, D - puparium, E - pupa extracted from the puparium, E - imago.

Blood-sucking representatives of this family include the tsetse fly (Glossina palpalis), which carries trypanosomes, the causative agents of human sleeping sickness in Africa (Fig. 5).

The Wohlfart fly (Wohlfahrtia magnifica) belongs to the Gray blowfly family. Found in the southern regions of Russia. Adults feed on nectar and plant sap. Females are viviparous. Up to 100 larvae are deposited simultaneously on the skin and mucous membranes of animals. There are known cases of larvae being deposited in the ears, wounds, nose, and eyes of a sleeping person. The larvae penetrate deep into tissues, destroying them mechanically and with enzymes. Tissue myiasis develops. The larvae can eat away soft tissue to the bone. 3–5 days after infection, the larvae fall out and pupate in the soil.

rice. 7. Structure of the licking oral apparatus of a housefly: 1 - compound eye, 2 - vibrissae, 3 - base of the proboscis, 4 - lower lip, 5 - labial lobe, 6 - oral opening, 7 - upper lip, 8 - mandibular palps, 9 - antennae.

Gadflies cause great harm to livestock farming. Adult gadflies have an undeveloped mouthparts and do not feed.

Subcutaneous gadflies are dipterans whose larvae develop under the skin of animals. Females (Fig. lay eggs on the fur of animals, the hatched larvae penetrate into the skin, where they develop. Before pupation, they emerge through the fistulas, fall into the soil, where they pupate.

rice. 8. Bovine gadfly (Hypoderma bovis)

Gastric botflies are dipterans whose larvae develop in the gastrointestinal tract of animals. The female gadfly lays eggs on such areas of the skin that the animal can reach with its lips. Eggs or larvae are swallowed by the animal and enter the stomach; here the botfly larvae lead a parasitic lifestyle, feeding on blood and mucus. After development is completed, the larvae pass through the intestines and are released into the environment along with feces. They pupate in the soil.

► Insects with complete metamorphosis (Holometabola) also include the following orders:

• Order Reticulates (Neuroptera)
• Order Coleoptera, or Beetles (Coleoptera)
• Order Hymenoptera (Hymenoptera)
• Order Fleas (Siphonaptera, or Aphaniptera)
• Order Lepidoptera, or Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
• Brief description of the class Insects
• Classification of the class Insects

► Go to the table of contents of the book “Zoology of Invertebrates. Theory. Tasks. Answers"

Tsetse fly

He is a resident of the African continent. The food for this dangerous predator is blood from wild mammals. Flies will only be carriers of the terrifying tryponosomas.

The disease that this tryponosome causes is one of the most dangerous and incurable. They lead to death due to the destruction of the nervous and immune systems.

№4

It is incredibly difficult to fight them due to their insane reproduction rate. In just one month, a female can lay up to 2000 eggs. Once the larvae hatch, they only need 10 days to become full-fledged flies.

By the way, the warmer it is, the faster they reproduce. Typically, one city trash can is enough to produce up to 1,000 new insects.

Nutrition

What do flies do and what can they eat? Very interesting, but they can be omnivores. That is why they have a high ability to feed on organic food.

If suddenly the food turns out to be too hard for them, they can soak it first. Particular preference will be given to liquid juice and liquid sweets.

Traditional methods

Advantages of folk remedies in the fight against flies: safety for humans and accessibility. The most familiar of them is mechanical. Insects are killed using a fly swatter (or rolled up newspaper). However, this method is tedious, especially without some skill. Yes, and there are traces of dead flies on the walls. But human resourcefulness knows no bounds: some people use a vacuum cleaner turned on at full power to fight flies.

Deception

If you take into account the life activity of flies, you can trick the insects into leaving the apartment. Here are two ways.

1. Ventilation. Since the vital functions of winged pests “turn on” when the temperature rises above 15°C, you can thoroughly ventilate the apartment to force the “enemy” to leave the house.
2. Blackout. Flies fly, which means they have the opportunity to get food only when it is light. Twilight forces insects to look for a more “friendly” habitat.

Flies are afraid of drafts, but at the same time they may not leave the apartment, but simply sit out in secluded corners. As soon as the windows are closed, the insects will make themselves known again.

"Aromatherapy"

There are odors that are extremely uncomfortable for flies. Diptera prefer to leave places that emit unpleasant odors. Here are three ways to help get rid of insects.

1. Ethers. Do general cleaning using a solution of essential oils (two to three drops per liter of water) to wash walls, floors and cabinets. Flies cannot stand the smell of cloves, citronella, peppermint, eucalyptus, and lemongrass.
2. Alcohol. Using a spray bottle, spray vodka in the room where the flies live.
3. Seasonings. Grind a handful of dry clove buds in your palms and place in a vase or any bowl.

Insects do not like the smells of some plants. Therefore, it is useful to “settle” geraniums on the windowsill. It’s nice to have a pot of peppermint or basil at home: their leaves can also be used as aromatic seasonings. For those who are far from floriculture, there is also a way: hang “bouquets” of dried tansy, bay leaves, lavender or wormwood indoors.

To prevent flies from ruining your summer dinner on the veranda or in the gazebo, you can make a simple insect repeller. Cut a lemon in half, stick a few cloves into each part and place on the table.

Traps

To make a fly trap, you need to pour water or milk sweetened with sugar, honey or jam into a small jar. Fold a sheet of paper into a funnel shape and place it on the container with the base facing up so that it does not touch the solution. The flies will fly into the jar, but will not be able to get out. Here are two more ideas for indoor fly traps.

1. Vinegar. Pour vinegar mixed with a small amount of dishwashing liquid into a small container, cover the container with a plastic bag, after making several holes in it.
2. Sugar ribbon. Prepare a strong sugar solution, add honey or jam syrup. Cut strips of craft paper and soak in the mixture for several hours. Take it out, dry it, hang it in places where insects gather.

Poisonous mixtures

Flies can be poisoned. To do this, you need to prepare a poisonous mixture with an odor attractive to pests, pour it into saucers and place it in places where arthropods accumulate. Here are three options.

1. Pepper mixture. Add hot pepper or ground black pepper to the sugar solution. After feasting on such a mixture, the insect will die in three to four days. This composition is more preferable, since it is safe for humans and animals.
2. With formaldehyde. Combine water (125 ml) with milk and formalin (25 ml each) or dilute 30 ml of formalin in 40 ml of glycerin. Such mixtures are toxic to people and animals, so they should not be used in a home where there are children and pets.
3. With saccharin. Combine honey and saccharin, soak a sheet of newspaper in the resulting mixture, and dry the paper. Place the workpiece on a plate and sprinkle with water.

Saving flowers

Indoor plants can become habitats for fruit flies. Three folk methods will help you get rid of flies in flowers. After using them, you need to wash the pots and trays with a solution of laundry soap or vinegar.

1. Garlic irrigation. Finely chop the head of garlic and pour 600 ml of boiling water over the raw material, leave for three to four hours and pour the mixture over the indoor plants.
2. Orange therapy. Place orange zest in flower pots.
3. Soap spraying. Stir 20 g of grated laundry soap in a liter of warm water. Spray the plant with the solution.

Reproduction

There are a couple of species that will reproduce with viviparous fruits. But most of it belongs to what the larvae will lay. Fly eggs can be laid 2-3 days after mating.

And one clutch can count about 150 testicles. Over a lifetime, this number for one fly can be up to 3 thousand units.

Maggots will appear in a day, then, after a week, an increase of 800 times occurs. And a new life is ready.

Flies are dangerous because they themselves are carriers of dangerous diseases.

Habitat

The fly, whose lifestyle we are considering in our article, belongs to the synanthropic species. This means that its existence is closely connected with man. Flies are especially interested in sewage - garbage cans, containers, rotting products, feces. It is these places that are most suitable for laying eggs, as they are rich in nutrients.

For humans, this insect poses a serious danger. The fact is that on the pads of her feet she carries the causative agents of many diseases - dysentery, cholera, typhoid fever. The difficulty also lies in the fact that harmful microorganisms are not broken down in the digestive tract, but are released outside in a viable form.

Photos of flies

Purchased funds

Electric fly swatters kill flies at the slightest touch; just touch an insect and it will die: no dirty marks on your favorite wallpaper. What else can you buy to combat dipteran arthropods?

Traps

The simplest fly trap you can buy in a store is sticky tape. This is a strip covered with an adhesive composition that attracts flies with its smell. The device is produced by the brands Fumitox, Raptor, Aeroxon, Clean House and other manufacturers. There are also more “advanced” commercial fly traps:

• window - envelopes that are placed in the corners of windows and filled with flies;
• electric - they look like fans that “suck in” flies flying by;
• ultraviolet - the light attracts flies, they stick to the adhesive composition and die from an electrical discharge.

Technological advances have made it possible to use ultrasound in insect control. The device produces ultrasonic waves that are imperceptible to humans, but unbearable to flies: dipterans try to stay away from the source of the uncomfortable “noise.”

Fumigators

Fumigators are devices that destroy insects by poisoning arthropods with vapors or gases. In apartment conditions, two types of devices are used to control flies.

1. Electric. A small device that connects to the mains and heats a plate treated with an insecticide or a liquid toxic to insects.
2. Aquafumigator. A container containing substances toxic to insects is placed in a small bath filled with water. The poisons released are destructive to flies: penetrating through the shell, they paralyze the insect. Processing time is two hours; during this period, all household members must leave the apartment.

There is also a pyrotechnic fumigator. It is a spiral made of a porous flammable mass impregnated with an insecticide (a composition harmful to insects, including flies). After ignition, the composition begins to smolder, releasing smoke that is poisonous to dipterans. Such devices cannot be used in an apartment due to the high fire hazard.

Sprays and aerosols

Such preparations are easy to use: you need to close all doors and windows, spray the product for 10-15 seconds, leave the room and after 30 minutes ventilate the room for half an hour. Under no circumstances should the drug come into contact with food, household items, furniture, and especially children’s things. The table below will give you an idea of ​​the range of products.

Table - Overview of fly sprays and aerosols

While processing the premises, you should not smoke, eat or drink, and it is also important to take other precautions to avoid poisoning.

• Prepare the room. Remove food, cages with animals, take out or close aquariums, there should be no people or pets in the room.
• Check action. Before spraying the product on any surface, you need to test the reaction on a small area.
• Remember fire safety. Do not spray near hot objects or open flames.
• Protect skin and mucous membranes. When working with products, wear a respirator, goggles, rubber gloves and clothing that covers the body. After handling, wash your hands with soap and take a shower.
• Do the cleaning. After treatment, wash all surfaces with a solution of laundry soap and then with clean water.

If the product gets into your eyes or skin, rinse with plenty of running water and then consult a doctor.

Powders and granules

Powders are scattered in places where flies congregate; granules can be used in two ways: stir in water and treat the surfaces on which flies land with the solution, or spread dry in the same way as powder.

The products are also toxic to humans, so it is not recommended to use them in a home where there are children and animals. When working with drugs, wear rubber gloves, special clothing and a respirator.

Judging by the reviews, the most effective are powders and granules produced under the brands: “Bayt Mukha”, “Clean House”, Baygon.

Insecticidal baits can come in sticker form, such as Ortho Home Defense Fly Killer Window Decal. The principle of action is similar - the insect eats the poisonous composition and dies.

Prevention

To avoid the appearance of unwanted “guests”, it is necessary to maintain cleanliness in the house, especially in the kitchen: wet cleaning, timely emptying of the trash can, washing dishes, destroying spoiled food. Here are four more recommendations that will protect against the “invasion” of flies.

1. Proper food storage. Store all food products either in the refrigerator or in a tightly closed container or tied plastic bag.
2. Animal hygiene. Clean the cat's litter box or cage in a timely manner, as flies feed on excrement. Wash your pet's bowl daily.
3. "Strengthening" windows. In the warm season, when windows and vents are constantly open, install mosquito nets to prevent insects from entering the apartment.
4. Repellers. Add essential oils to the water for washing floors, periodically light aroma lamps, hang bunches of dried herbs, the smell of which flies do not like, plant geraniums.

In Ancient Egypt, dipterous insects were considered a symbol of courage and audacity, but now the buzzing arthropod creature personifies importunity. When thinking about how to deal with flies in an apartment, you need to take care of the safety of the methods used for households and pets.

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