Childrens Illustrated Encyclopedia

209

Flies and mosquitoes

Life cycLe of a drone fLy

The drone fly is a kind of hoverfly. it

resembles a bee in appearance and

makes a low droning sound in flight.

after mating, the female lays her eggs

near a puddle, a polluted pond, or

other stagnant (nonmoving) water.

The larvae, known as rat-tailed

maggots, live in the water, breathing

through the long tail that acts like a

snorkel. The rat-tailed maggots wriggle

on to drier soil before pupating.

When the adults emerge from the

pupal cases, they fly off to feed on

pollen and nectar from flowers.

SoMe of THe SMaLLeST creatures in the world

are the most dangerous to humans. flies and

mosquitoes carry some of the world’s most

serious diseases. With their habit of sucking

blood and scavenging on garbage, many of

these insects spread cholera, malaria, and

yellow fever. There are about 150,000 kinds

of flies, including bluebottles, horseflies, fruit

flies, tiny gnats, and almost invisible midges.

We call many small, winged insects flies, but the

only true flies are those with two functional

wings; they belong to the insect group Diptera.

all flies lay eggs. The eggs hatch into larvae

called grubs or maggots. The maggots feed

and grow into pupae or chrysalises, from

which the adult flies finally emerge. despite

their unpopularity with humans, flies play

a vital role in nature. They pollinate

flowers and recycle nutrients as they

scavenge, and they are a source of

food for many larger animals.

Malaria is one of the most serious

and widespread diseases. It kills

over 1 million people each year.

Housefly has excellent

eyesight and

spongelike

mouthparts.

MoSquiTo

The mosquito has needle-shaped mouthparts that pierce the

skin to suck the blood of humans, horses, and other animals.

if a female Anopheles mosquito bites a person with malaria, it

takes in blood infected with the microscopic organisms

that cause this disease. When the mosquito goes on

to bite another victim, the organisms pass into

that person’s blood, and so the disease spreads.

The map below shows those parts of the world

where malaria is most severe.

Africa

Asia

South

America

Australia

Adult fly

emerges 4-6

weeks after

eggs are laid.

HoverfLy

The hoverfly is one of the most

expert fliers. it can hover even in

windy conditions, then dart

straight up, down, sideways, or

backward. Tiny ball-and-stick

structures behind the wings,

called halteres, rotate rapidly and

act as stabilizers during flight.

Housefly can

walk upside

down.

Eggs

fLieS

and diSeaSe

Houseflies,

bluebottles, and

similar flies feed on

and lay their eggs in

rotting matter,

including garbage

and excrement. Their

mouthparts and feet

pick up bacteria, or

germs, which rub off

when they settle on our

food, dishes, and kitchen

equipment. The illnesses that

spread in this way range from

minor stomach upsets to deadly

infections such as typhoid.

Rat-tailed maggots (larvae)

feed on rotting and

decaying plant and animal

matter in the drain.

Maggots (larvae)

crawl out of water

and change into

pupae (pupate).

Areas

where

malaria

occurs

Hoverfly’s wingtips make a figure-eight

pattern with each wing beat.

Housefly feeding on

rotting meat

Larva (maggot)

North

America

Female drone fly

lays eggs near

water in a drain.

Wing

Find out more

Compound

eye

Antenna

The bluebottle,

or blowfly, lays

thousands of eggs in

garbage cans and on

meat. Within just a few

weeks these eggs

produce thousands

more flies.

Tiny hairs and hooks

on feet enable fly to

walk on the ceiling.

animals

disease

Flight, animal 210-

insects

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