Flies

Diptera

Description

Flies are often abundant and found in almost all terrestrial habitats in the world apart from Antarctica. Fly larvae are tiny, cream-whitish, legless, and often worm-like. Dipteran adults are not long-lived, and their function is only to mate and lay eggs.

Life Cycle

The flies develop through four life stages: egg, larva or maggot, pupa, and adult. Flies live 15 to 30 days, and a female fly can lay over 500 eggs in her lifetime. The eggs hatch within 12-24 hours and the maggots feed for about five days on rotting plant or animal material. Afterward, the maggots look for a dry and dark location for pupation. Depending upon the species of fly, and weather conditions, it may take one to four weeks to complete a life cycle. Flies can produce two or more generations per month.