Are you interested in knowing how long a fly lives? Contrary to what many people think, the life of a fly does not last 1, 2 or 3 days. In this article you will learn how long a fly really lives, what factors it depends on and some facts about its life cycle. There are different species of flies, so we will focus on the one we are most familiar with, the one we share every summer: the house fly.
The fly
One of the most well-known insects on the planet, and not exactly because we like it. We have all found ourselves more than once with a fly bothering us at home and there is no way to get rid of it. It is an animal that is an irremediable part of our lives, especially during the hot months.
There are different species of flying insects that fall into the fly family: the common housefly, blowflies, horseflies and mosquitoes are the best known. They all belong to the order Diptera.
Characteristics of the house fly
- Its body is divided into three parts: head, thorax and abdomen.
- It has two wings
- Their eyes are composed of thousands of light-sensitive facets.
- Cannot bite or chew
- It has mouthparts for licking, sucking and piercing.
- Can feel, smell and taste through the legs
- Its legs are sticky, so it can walk upside down.
- It has a sophisticated defense system to escape from attackers by anticipating their movements.
And the million dollar question… How long does a fly live?
Not all flies live the same length of life, as there are different species that vary in size, color and habitat. In this article we tell you how long a common fly lives, which is the one we usually live with.
Flies generally live between 15 and 25 days, although under optimal conditions they can live up to 2 months. Their life expectancy depends, above all, on their ability to feed and on a good temperature.
The optimum temperature for the life of the adult fly is between 10 and 26°C (50 and 79°F). If a fly has no food and is at a lower temperature, its life expectancy can be reduced to 2 or 3 days.
Life cycle of houseflies
To better understand how long a fly lives, we must know its life cycle.The life cycle of flies is divided into four morphological phases: egg, larva, pupa and adult. In order for them to grow and develop, they need a warm temperature of between 17 and 37ºC, which is why they always arrive in the summer season. However, once they are adults they do not need so much heat.
They are oviparous, reproducing by eggs. The female can lay up to 8,000 eggs during her lifetime. These eggs hatch in only 24 hours, becoming larvae, pupae through the food provided by the mother and finally adults. This process lasts 7 to 10 days.
Flies lay their eggs in decaying organic debris, so if you want to keep them away and prevent them from breeding, try to keep your home as clean as possible and keep food debris out of their reach.
Believe it or not, flies also play an important role on the planet as they help eliminate animal carcasses and fecal matter; in addition, they are the natural prey of other animals such as birds and rodents and are therefore part of the food chain. On the other hand, they also have a negative effect as they can transmit diseases due to contact with decaying meat and excrement.
Have you ever heard before how long flies live? What facts did you know about these insects? If you are interested in learning more about insects, we recommend that you read our articles on ants and how to have an anthill at home.
