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Common Housefly Information for Kids

The common housefly is viewed as a pest everywhere it goes. Although the housefly does not have the mouth parts to bite, it is still very troublesome. It shares some of the same characteristics of other insects, such as three main body parts and four stages of development. Unlike most other insects, however, the common housefly has more of a propensity for spreading diseases that can cause mild to moderate illness. In some underdeveloped countries, where they are more difficult to control, the housefly has caused numerous deaths from dysentery and other diseases.

Identification
- The scientific name of the common housefly is Musca domestica. This insect has two wings and its body is grey with black stripes. Like all other insects, the fly's body is divided into three parts. These sections include the head, thorax and abdomen. The house fly also has six segmented legs and a hard, protective exoskeleton. Adult flies range from 1/4 to 1/2 inch long. Their wingspan ranges from 13 to 15 millimeters. Housefly babies, otherwise known as maggots, are about 1 millimeter long when they hatch and grow to be about 12.5 millimeters before turning into adult houseflies.
Habitat
- The habitat of the common housefly is in and around homes and farms that are inhabited by humans and animals. The presence of livestock feces is an attractant for house flies to lay their eggs. The housefly was originally only found in Central Asia, but is now abundant on all continents and is found in all climates. The housefly is not only found in rural areas, but also makes itself known in urban dwellings.
Reproductive Cycle and Lifespan
- There are four stages of the common housefly's life cycle, including egg, larva, pupa and adult. At least 12 generations of houseflies can be produced within the same family in one year. In subtropical climates, this number increases to as many as 20 generations. The adult female lays from 120 to 150 eggs, usually in manure or other type of organic debris. She can lay up to 1,000 eggs in her 2-1/2 month life span. The eggs hatch out as one-millimeter-long maggots. When the maggot gets to be about 12.5 millimeters long, it tunnels into the manure and emerges as an adult in 5 to 6 days. This stage can take up to a month in colder climates.
Diseases
- Common houseflies are capable of causing devastation by spreading disease. This happens when the housefly lands on manure or other contaminated surface and then lands on food that is intended for human consumption. The germs and contaminants can get caught in the hairs on the fly's legs. Cooking the food at a high enough temperature can usually kill any pathogens that are present, but if a fly lights on food that has already been cooked, the germs are ingested with the food. Diseases that can be spread by the common housefly include anthrax, cholera, dysentery and typhoid fever.

Insects & Science