How Many Flies Are on Earth?
WouterThere are more than one hundred thousand species of flies on earth. Scientists have described around 120,000 of them, but the actual number is probably far larger. They are grouped into families and genera, and flies within a family may have similar habits and lifestyles. Flies can also carry diseases, so they must be kept away from human beings.
Flies come in a variety of shapes, colors, and sizes. They have two compound eyes and three simple eyes, two antennae, and mouthparts. Some species have unique hearing organs, which enable them to locate their singing prey. Their brains contain 100,000 neurons and have specialized systems for detecting sounds, smells, and decision making. As a result, flies seem to think before they act.
Some species are pollinators, and scientists have calculated that a single pair of house flies can produce as many as 191 billion house flies in five months. While house flies are relatively short-lived and can lay up to 120 eggs each, scientists have found that a single pair of flies can produce as many as 191,010,000,000,000,000,000 house flies in five months.
Despite their tiny size, these insects are surprisingly diverse. There are more than ten thousand species of flies, including craneflies, mosquitoes, and gnats. In North America alone, there are more than one thousand species.
