16 Facts About Flies

Flies are insects of the order Diptera, the name being derived from the Greek d?- di- "two", and pte??? pteron "wing".

Flies have a mobile head, with a pair of large compound eyes, and mouthparts designed for piercing and sucking, or for lapping and sucking in the other groups.

Flies undergo complete metamorphosis; the eggs are often laid on the larval food-source and the larvae, which lack true limbs, develop in a protected environment, often inside their food source.

Flies are important pollinators, second only to the bees and their Hymenopteran relatives.

Flies can be annoyances especially in some parts of the world where they can occur in large numbers, buzzing and settling on the skin or eyes to bite or seek fluids.

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Flies are often abundant and are found in almost all terrestrial habitats in the world apart from Antarctica.

Flies are the second largest group of pollinators after the Hymenoptera.

Flies are adapted for aerial movement and typically have short and streamlined bodies.

Flies have a mobile head with a pair of large compound eyes on the sides of the head, and in most species, three small ocelli on the top.

Flies are capable of great manoeuvrability during flight due to the presence of the halteres.

Flies tend to fly in a straight line then make a rapid change in direction before continuing on a different straight path.

Flies have rapid reflexes that aid their escape from predators but their sustained flight speeds are low.

Flies occur in large populations due to their ability to mate effectively and quickly during the mating season.

Flies are eaten by other animals at all stages of their development.

Flies appear on Old Babylonian seals as symbols of Nergal, the god of death.

Flies appear in popular culture in concepts such as fly-on-the-wall documentary-making in film and television production.