How Many Flies Are There in the World?
WouterTrue flies are among the oldest creatures on the planet. They first appeared on Earth during the Permian period, over 250 million years ago. House flies, on the other hand, are relatively recent compared to their Dipteran cousins. The earliest Musca fossils were found about 70 million years ago. This is when the dinosaurs went extinct, and this was when true flies emerged.
They are highly adaptive and can survive in a variety of environments. They can survive on very small amounts of food and can reproduce at a rapid rate. As an added bonus, they are able to move from place to place for reproduction and food. This makes them a real nuisance in urban environments. However, despite their adversarial nature, flies and humans can co-exist in a shared habitat.
There are approximately 120,000 species of flies worldwide. They have many names and are classified according to their habits. Some flies are larger than others and are classified into different genuses or families. Families can have a number of species, and the flies within them may have similar lifestyles and habits.
Climate change is a concern for many flies. The effects of global warming are already beginning to be felt. Some species have already disappeared, like the bone skipper fly. It feeds on picked-over carcasses and comes out at night in winter. It was previously thought to be extinct until it was rediscovered a few years ago. Climate change is affecting other species, including houseflies.
