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Oh those nasty, pesky houseflies! It seems like they always appear at the worst possible moment to drop merrily onto the rim of your glass just as you are about to take a drink or into the salad when you have a table full of guest. Although the term housefly is commonly used to identify most insects in the Muscidae family from the Diptera order of flies, there are many different species of these small, stocky flies. In most cases, any fly that is found inside a house or building is considered a housefly. But these busy little insects are not just found inside. They will readily drop in on a picnic, attack compost in droves, make regular visits to the garbage can and are as common as the animal stock in a barnyard. In reality what the general public consider a housefly can be broken down into three or more species. The common housefly or Musca domestica are most often found inside a home. The lesser housefly or Fannia canicularis can usually be found around the barnyard. A third, the Musca autumnalis or face fly tends to stay away from buildings during the warmer months but as the weather cools they will move to the sides of buildings to stay warm, eventually moving inside the building as the colder months arrive.
It is not difficult to observe a housefly and most people have done just that prior to zooming in for a kill. The common housefly is usually less than 1\4 inch in length and has a blackish gray body with black stripes running the length of its body. The lesser housefly is commonly a bit larger with a blackish gray body and yellow stripes. The face fly has a close resemblance to the housefly but it slightly larger. The body of this fly is blackish gray with sparse yellow hairs. When resting the face fly will overlap its wings on its back. The common housefly and lesser housefly rest with both wings slightly spread to the sides. All three species have mouths that are made for sucking or lapping and are unable to bite. Even so, their investigative buzzing and habit of lighting on anything available tend to make them quite an annoying pest. Most houseflies are considered to be nasty little creatures. In most cases this is because of their habit of visiting such areas as garbage, manure piles, compost and such. It is true that they tend to carry microscopic organisms that can be unhealthy. In most cases these organisms are found on their feet.
Houseflies spend the winter months as adults, making any warm area their home. When spring arrives they emerge and the fertile females deposit their eggs in rotted or decaying materials. Each female will deposit no less than 100 eggs that will hatch in around one day. The larva of the housefly, commonly called maggots, will pupate for almost a week before becoming adults. In warm areas it is not uncommon for the female housefly to produce up to ten broods each year. Predators of the housefly include man, birds, reptiles and amphibians. Interestingly, houseflies have become immune to many of the pesticides used by man to destroy them. Birds attack the housefly during its larva stage, while reptiles and amphibians find houseflies quite a delicacy in the adult stage of their life.
Even with all their disgusting habits, there are many interesting facts about the housefly. These busy little insects are considered quite important in the break down of waste materials since this is their main diet in all stages of their life. The large compound eye of the housefly with around 2000 lens have been the focus to many studies showing that these tiny creatures are capable of seeing all things in all directions. But even though the housefly can see in all directions and has a remarkable sense of smell, they must land on an item to taste it. It is interesting to note that this is quite possibly one reason that the housefly is considered such a pest!
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