How many paws does a fly have and how are they arranged: what is the uniqueness of the legs of a winged pest
Flies are considered one of the most annoying insects, easily penetrating the dwelling and crawling around. Probably, many wondered how many paws a fly has and why their touch is so unpleasant. It is worth noting that the limbs play an important role in the life of these representatives of the Diptera order and they are needed not only for movement and rest during breaks between flights.
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How many legs do flies have and how are they arranged
Flies have three pairs of legs with their own muscles, ending in hooked claws, with which the insect is attached to an uneven surface and can crawl upside down.
On each leg there are taste buds and anatomical pads - pulvilla with many fine hairs, equipped at the end with a discoid gland.
Their surface is constantly moistened with a sticky fatty secretion, which allows the fly's paws to stick to a smooth surface. At one time, scientists considered these pads to be suction cups.
How a fly uses its paws
The legs of an insect perform several functions at once, acting as organs of smell and touch. The fly feels food with them and receives more information about it than people through the senses, determining the edibility or inedibility of the object. These receptors are 100 times stronger than human ones. The arthropod uses its limbs as a language. That is why flies take care of the cleanliness of their paws.
What surfaces can a fly sit on?
Flies can literally stick to any surface, including mirrors, window panes, smooth walls, curtains, chandeliers, and even ceilings. At the same time, before landing, they do not need to completely turn over the body, it is enough to make only half a turn.
Thanks to the secretion of a sticky secret from carbohydrates and lipids and the force of capillary attraction, the insect perfectly clings to the smallest ledges invisible to human vision and does not fall.
A pair of claws at the end of the legs allows the arthropod to unfasten the pad after gluing. But to do this strictly vertically and jerky is quite difficult. The pad with the gland moves away from the surface gradually, in small areas. The process is similar to tearing off a sticky tape.
If an insect's legs are degreased by immersion in hexane for a few minutes, the fly will not be able to move on any surface. Her limbs will begin to slide and disperse in different directions. Without the ability to walk vertically, the life of an individual will be in mortal danger.
The legend of Aristotle and the fly's paws
In general, one curious legend about the treatise of Aristotle is connected with the paws of these insects, in which the philosopher declares that that flies have 8 legs. Due to the authority of the scientist for several centuries, no one tested the truth of this statement on real individuals. The reason for this conclusion is not known. Perhaps it was a scribal error, or Aristotle actually said so to the disciples who wrote it down. Be that as it may, but the ancient Greek philosopher has other incorrect statements.
Other interesting facts about flies
With regards to flies, they all have the same external and internal morphological features:
- the absence of a skeleton;
- complex structure of the paws;
- developed reproductive and digestive system;
- an elongated body covered with a chitinous shell;
- the simplest device of the heart;
- prominent head, abdomen and thorax.
These arthropods differ in color, depending on their species. So, there are: green, gray, spotted, black and blue flies. Some individuals, being parasites and carriers of intestinal infections, can harm humans. But there are also useful species, for example, the tahina fly, which lays its eggs in the larvae of insect pests.
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