What Are Fly Larvae Called? An Introduction to Maggots
Biologically, flies are typical holometabolous insects, with the physiological trait that a single mating allows a lifetime of egg-laying, and their reproductive capacity ranks first in the insect world. Their life goes through four stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Let's take a look below at what fly larvae are called!
What are fly larvae called
Fly larvae are called maggots. Maggots hatch after flies lay eggs at 15-40°C for several hours, are about two centimeters long, move by wriggling, and have three instars. First-instar larvae are 1-3 mm long and have only posterior spiracles. After molting they become second instars, 3-5 mm long, with anterior spiracles and posterior spiracles with 2 slits. After molting again they become third instars, 5-13 mm long, with posterior spiracles with 3 slits. The body color of maggots changes from transparent and milky white to milky yellow from the first to third instar, until they mature and pupate.
What do fly larvae eat
Maggots are omnivorous and feed on the spot where they live. Someone once found as many as 76,400 maggots and pupae in 1.5 sq m of pig manure. Proteins from animal feed, plant feed and even microorganisms are all nutrients that maggots like to take in. The quantity, quality, fermentation temperature and even moisture content of the food are all directly related to the developmental outcome of maggots. After third-instar maggots mature, they stop feeding, and under conditions of low temperature of 15-20°C and low humidity, they often leave the breeding site and burrow into loose soil nearby to pupate.
The growth process of flies
1. Egg stage: Fly eggs are milky white, banana-shaped or oval, about 1 mm long, with two ridges on the back of the eggshell, where the membrane between the ridges is thinnest, and the larva emerges from this spot when hatching. The development time of the egg stage is 8-24 hours and is related to environmental temperature and humidity. Eggs do not develop below 13°C, and die below 8°C or above 42°C. Humidity also affects the hatching rate of eggs.
2. Larva: Maggots like to burrow, fear strong light, and hide all day in the dark, light-free places of their breeding material. They are polyphagous, and all kinds of rotting and fermenting organic matter are their delicacies.
3. Pupa stage: The pupa is the third metamorphic stage in the life history of flies, barrel-shaped, that is, a coarctate pupa, and its body color changes from light to dark, finally becoming chestnut brown, 5-8 mm long. Metamorphosis proceeds continuously inside the pupal shell. Once the rudimentary form of the fly is formed, it enters the eclosion stage. During eclosion, the fly alternately inflates and contracts the ptilinum on its head to push open the head end of the pupal shell and crawl out, passing through loose sandy soil or other culture material to reach the ground surface.
4. Adult fly: The adult fly has a pair of large compound eyes on its head, including about 4,000 ommatidia, and is keen-sighted. Its sense of smell is located on the antennae, and its taste organs are mainly on the feet, which helps it find food while crawling.