How Do Flies Smell When They Die?
WouterFlies’ smells may have an important evolutionary role, but it’s unclear how they help extend life span. One hypothesis suggests that the smell of food triggers animals to live in the present moment instead of waiting for a better time. The resulting physiological effects might increase an animal’s resistance to stress.
Flies also smell when they die. They’re tiny winged visitors that arrive on a body in five to ten minutes after it’s dead. In addition to being the first insects to see a corpse, they’re also the first ones to smell it. In fact, they can smell a corpse from a distance of up to 10 miles.
In order to learn more about how flies smell, researchers probed their sensilla, which is a group of cells that produce smells. They found a specific fourth odor neuron, which was covered in a special type of receptor that allowed ammonia to enter the cells. In this way, they were able to figure out how flies smell ammonia.
As a matter of fact, the smell of dead flies depends on their species. Different species of flies produce different types of maggots, which feed on different materials at different stages of decay. While some maggots feed on fresh meat, others feed on rotten meat. This process is known as putrefaction, and it is a common cause of an unpleasant odor.
