Question

What is the Larval Stage of a Housefly?

Answer 1

Hint: The housefly (Musca domestica) is a suborder of the fly family Cyclorrhapha. It is thought to have evolved during the Cenozoic Era, possibly in the Middle East, and has since spread throughout the world as a human commensal. It is the most common type of fly found in homes.

Complete answer:
Maggot is the larval stage of a housefly. Housefly eggs hatch into larvae, also known as Maggots, which are legless, white insects that feed for three to five days from the egg-laying site. Maggots moult several times during this period.

A full-grown maggot, 7 to 12mm long, has a greasy, cream-coloured appearance and goes through three instars. The survival of house fly larvae is aided by high-moisture manure. The ideal temperature for larval development is 35 to 38 degrees Celsius, but the best temperature for larval survival is 17 to 32 degrees Celsius.

Larvae are also known as maggots during this stage of the fly's life cycle. Maggots grow quickly and must moult, or shed a layer of skin, before entering the larval stage. Each stage can take anywhere from three days to eight weeks to complete.

A fly can lay up to 500 eggs at once. The white egg, which measures about 1.2mm in length, is laid singly, but eggs are piled together in small groups. Over a three to four-day period, each female fly can lay up to 500 eggs in batches of 75 to 150 eggs.

The housefly goes through a full metamorphosis, with distinct egg, larval or maggot, pupal, and adult stages. The larval or pupal stage under the manure piles or in other protected locations.

Thus the correct answer is ‘Maggot’.

Note: Houseflies have been in the laboratory in research into ageing and sex determination. Houseflies appear in literature from ancient Greek myth and Aesop’s The impertinent Insect onwards. According to research, the 'love spot' is a specific region within the eyes of a male fly. It is primarily used for detecting and pursuing female flies. This Spot is in the dorso-frontal region of their eyes. This is typically used to detect small target motion, but males also use it to remain “locked onto potential mates during the aerial pursuit.”