Our Wild Neighbors
Housefly
Musca domestica
An annoying cosmopolitan
© Musée de la nature et des sciences de Sherbrooke
Description of the animal
- Member of the insect order Diptera. The Housefly has a single pair of wings, like mosquitoes.
- Size at adulthood: five to eight millimetres.
- Generally grey, with four black stripes on its thorax.
- Its body is completely covered with hair.
- Its eyes, which appear to be red, have up to 4000 lenses.
- Its mouth parts are shaped like a horn. Two pads complete with pores found at the tip of its proboscis are used by the housefly to suck up its food.
- The female is slightly bigger than the male.
Habitat and needs
- Can see almost 360 degrees with its compound eyes. Frequently cleans its eyes with its front legs.
- Perceives tastes and smells through receptors located on its legs. The Housefly frequently dusts these receptors off by rubbing its legs together. Its legs secrete a strong adhesive that makes it possible for it to walk on ceilings.
- Breeds only once. The female stocks sperm for future eggs. The Housefly lays 500 to 1000 eggs at a time. Between May and September, six generations are born.
- Finds shelter for winter months when cold weather arrives. It waits for the return of warm weather to resume its activities.
- Ventures everywhere: airplanes, nuclear submarines, space stations....
- Likes heat, sewers, manure, garbage, and the smell of humans!
- Lives approximately 15 to 30 days. The day after an egg is laid, it emerges as a maggot. After three moults, it transforms into an orange pupa. When it emerges from its pupa, it is an adult and stops growing.
Relationship
- The Housefly readily enters homes and sometimes flies a little too close to human ears; the fly swatter was invented in its honour.
- Farmers dislike it. It can destroy up to 10% of crops.
- The fly represents an essential part of many birds’ diet.
- Its cousins from the Sarcophagidae family play a valuable role in police investigations. They make estimating the time of death of a person possible through observation of their developmental stage.
Living with them
- To prevent invasion:
- Use garbage cans that have a good lid.
- Discard of garbage bags regularly.
- Avoid leaving doors and windows open.
- Make sure that screens are in good condition.
- Rinse containers before placing them in the recycling bin, especially if they contained protein-rich or sweet substances.
- Use adhesive tape or flycatchers as traps.
Participating cities where this animal has been seen
- Sherbrooke, Québec
- Regina, Saskatchewan
- Vernon, British Columbia
- Moncton, New Brunswick