How Flies Are Born
WouterDuring the warm season, flies are virtually invisible. Despite their size, they can survive for several days or even weeks without food. Female flies can lay as many as 120 or 150 eggs at one time. These eggs hatch into white worm-like larvae, which mature into pupae before emerging as adult flies. Despite their short life spans, flies are capable of massive reproduction and are therefore an important part of the ecology.
The adult fly can lay up to 130 eggs a day, depending on its reproductive capability. Pupae are inactive for up to three days, and the insects inside develop up to 1.2 mm in size. The egg yolk provides the larva with essential nutrients and protects the eggs from low temperatures. As larvae emerge, they develop legs and wings.
After hatching, the larvae feed on the waste material that was created by their mother, often garbage. After a week, larvae start to change color, becoming brown and thicker. They change their shells, and eventually reach the adult stage, the chrysalis. In this stage, the future flies grow and become more complex than before.
Adult flies feed on decaying plant material and rotting human tissues. Female houseflies lay their eggs in warm manure and develop them into maggots, larvae, and pupae, which are the larvae of adult flies.
