Proboscis of flesh fly. Coloured scanning electron micrograph of the sucking surface of the proboscis of a grey flesh fly, Sarcophaga carnaria. The pr

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Proboscis of flesh fly. Coloured scanning electron micrograph of the sucking surface of the proboscis of a grey flesh fly, Sarcophaga carnaria. The proboscis is an elongated feeding organ used to sponge up liquid or soluble food, (dead or decaying flesh in the case of the flesh fly). The sucking surface consists of two labella, covered with a network of branching grooves (pseudo- tracheae). These grooves lock together in the same way as a zip fastener, as seen here. It is this sponge organ which conveys liquid food to the mouth. Solid foods are dissolved in a drop of saliva & sucked up in the same way. Magnification: x300 at 5x7cm size. x950 at 10x8ins

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Size: 3270px × 2557px
Photo credit: © POWER AND SYRED/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: animal, carnaria, flesh, fleshfly, fly, insect, insecta, invertebrate, invertebrates, nature, proboscis, pseudotracheae, sarcophaga, wildlife, zoology