Page 116 - Florida Pest Control Examinations

HOUSE FLY STABLE & HOUSE FLY-MARKINGS
S H

Photo Courtesy of UNIVAR Photo Courtesy of UNIVAR
1.Antenna- 2 small 6.Thorax- 4 narrow black stripes HOUSE FLY
2.Eyes- 2 compound 7.Petiole- none
3.Head- sponging mouthparts 8.Abdomen- 1 2 6
4.Legs- 6 9.Color- dull gray 5
5.Wings- one pair 10.Other
Life Cycle
Females may lay more than 500 eggs in their lifetime. These eggs will hatch
within a day and under optimum conditions they can complete their life cycle in
as few as eight days. Fly larvae are worm-like creatures popularly referred to
as “maggots.” They have no head or appendages, and go through three instars
in a week or less. At the end of the larvae stage, they form a hard cell called a 3 8
“puparium,” from which the adult fly emerges in 4-6 days. Adults live from 2-3
weeks, and can produce 10-12 generations in one summer.
Photo Courtesy of UNIVAR
Photo Courtesy of UNIVAR
HOUSE FLY Actual size 1/4”
Flies are of the order Diptera, which is Greek for “two-winged”. There are about 80,000 types in this
order, ranging from small gnats and midges through house flies and up to mosquitoes. The wings can
move very rapidly with an up-and-down motion 200 times per second. This rapid motion frequently
leads to a humming or buzzing sound.

Adult house flies vary in length from 3/16” to 5/16” long and are light gray in color with four dark stripes
on the back of the thorax (the segment right behind the head with the legs and wings attached). The
head is dominated by large red-brown compound eyes which are surrounded by a light gold stripe and
the female is usually larger than the male. They have adapted well to domestic environments, and are
by far the most common fly.

1.Antenna- 2 small 6.Thorax DEER FLY
2.Eyes- 2 compound 7.Petiole- none 2 5
3 . H e a d 8 . A b d o m e n 1 6
4.Legs- 6 9.Color- black
5.Wings- one pair 10.Other- larger than house fly
Life Cycle
Hundreds of eggs are deposited on objects located near a water source.
In about a week, they hatch with the larvae going into the water to feed 3
on organic materials. They pupate above the water level, becoming
adults in a short period of time. Adults emerge from May-August. There
can be two or more generations in a year. 8
Photo Courtesy of UNIVAR

DEER FLY
Actual size 3/8”
These are moderate-sized blood-sucking pests, about 3/8th of an inch. The females bite mam-
mals, males suck plant juices and about any liquid. They are common in wooded areas. Fe-
males are yellow-gray with black spots, males are black with yellow-gray spots. Deer flies are
related to Horse flies.

116