Compound Eyes of a Common Housefly
The housefly (also house fly, house-fly or common housefly), Musca domestica, is the most common of all flies flying in homes, and indeed one of the most widely distributed insects; it is often considered a pest that can carry serious diseases. Like most Diptera (meaning "two-winged"), houseflies have only one pair of wings; the hind pair is reduced to small halteres that aid in flight stability. Houseflies can take in only liquid foods. They spit out saliva on solid foods to predigest it, and then suck it back in. They also regurgitate partly digested matter and pass it again to the abdomen. The flies can walk on vertical planes, and can even hang upside-down from ceilings. This is accomplished with the surface tension of liquids secreted by glands near their feet. When they are not flying, flies continually preen themselves to aid in digestion and remove excess excrement. Flies have a very highly-evolved evasion reaction which helps to ensure their survival. It is possible to confuse a fly's evasion system by swatting it with two objects simultaneously from different directions. The holes in a fly swatter minimize the air current that warns the fly as being hit, whilst reducing air resistance and increasing speed of the swat.
Size: 5042px × 3353px
Photo credit: © Phil Degginger / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: bug, common, compound, domestica, eyes, flies, fly, house, housefly, insect, musca, pest
