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Who are dung flies and are they so attracted by excrement: the secrets of "fluffy" dung beetles

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In the natural environment, there are a huge number of a wide variety of flies. They don't have much difference. One of the most important is the diet. Dung flies have their own specific structural features and not only. It is recommended to study these representatives, as they have distinctive features from houseflies and other varieties.

What do dung flies look like and why are they called dung beetles

Dung flies look specific. They are different from ordinary house flies. The most important difference between them lies in the color of their body. They have an unusual hue. The body is covered with reddish hair. If you look at them in the sun, you might think that they are covered with gold. They shimmer strongly in the sun and anyone can distinguish them.
Their size is approximately close to the usual varieties. The growth range ranges from 10 to 15 millimeters, some individuals may exceed these parameters. In the rest of the appearance, we can say that the flies are the same. They were called dung beetles for a reason. Some people think that they got this name because of their diet. As if dung flies feed on animal waste.
In fact, this is far from the case. The diet of flies is the most diverse, but animal waste is secondary there. They got their name because they breed in manure. Dung flies prefer to breed in pig manure, there are more ideal conditions for the development of larvae. It is because of the name that some confuse this type of flies with those that feed on waste.

What do dung beetles eat

The main distinguishing feature of this species is their diet. Dung flies feed on a wide variety of elements. These may include:

  • waste of a wide variety of food;
  • rotten meat;
  • various plants;
  • horticultural crops in the soil.

It is important to understand that the dung fly practically does not feed on animal waste.

Some subspecies prefer flying insects, which are several times smaller than them. They chase after them until they catch up. That is why sometimes they can end up in a person’s apartment, although they themselves did not want it.

Where do dung flies live

The usual way of life for dung beetles is soil, or rather garden soil. They prefer to live where there is a lot of black soil, and the land is very fruitful. This place is a garden or a small garden for people, where various crops grow, and small bugs or worms also live.

Reproduction and development cycle of dung beetles

The female flies to the barn, where the manure is located. Several males appear and begin to fight for the female. The one who emerges victorious leads the fertilization, and the second most likely dies. After fertilization, the female flies to the dunghills and lays her eggs in it. Then for some time the eggs are in a warm place.
After that, the flies hatch from the eggs and begin to feed on other larvae that are in their neighborhood. Over time, they outgrow the larval stage, molting several times over the entire time. There is a transformation into a chrysalis, at this stage they do not feed on anything, but only the reconstruction of the body occurs. Slowly the larva turns into an adult.

In rare cases, the dung fly can lay eggs on plants. But this happens when there are no breeding options nearby. After such a process, the flies that are born become saprophages, unlike their relatives.

The life cycle of these insects consists of three main stages.

Egg stageIn this position, the adult bears eggs inside itself, it takes very little time. One fly can lay over 100 eggs at a time. It is important that laying takes place in warm manure waste. This helps to keep offspring, as too low a temperature will lead to extinction. Pig manure is much warmer for dung beetles and provides more ideal conditions for the development of larvae.
LarvaHere, other organisms are fed in order to have enough strength for rebirth. Several times the larva molts all the time, shedding unnecessary dead skin. After that, she turns into a chrysalis.
adult or imagoThe pupa produces a complete degeneration of the body of the fly. They turn into an adult and then the cycle begins again.

Harm and benefit from dung flies

 

Do dung beetles live in apartments and houses

Dung flies do not live at home. They do not need it, as they have a completely different diet. In the apartment they will not find suitable food for themselves.

Therefore, when an insect flies into an apartment, it most likely happens purely by chance. The fly tries to leave the room as soon as possible.

It is almost impossible to see a fly with a reddish color in an apartment. They fly indoors when they are chasing food, but they do not catch up with it and go astray. It is recommended to immediately release this variety back into the natural environment, as it does not want to harm humans.

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  1. drist

    dung baldness

    3 months ago

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