In this article we will discuss the life cycle of a fly, and what happens to them from egg to death. There is a lot of information about these pesky creatures that many people don’t know!
The housefly is one of the most common flies found in North America. They are attracted to garbage cans, pet food bowls, and any other area where there might be leftovers or rotting food.
The life cycle of a fly is an interesting and fascinating process. In this blog post, we will explore the entire life cycle of a fly from when it first hatches to when it dies. The housefly or Musca domestica is just one type of fly that has many different stages in its life cycle. We will go into detail about what happens throughout each stage and how flies reproduce so quickly!
Why do people seem to hate flies so much?
A swarm of houseflies can be annoying, but they will never stop in the quest for food. Flies are one of the most successful animals on Earth and have been around since at least 400 million years ago. It is believed by some that flies were present when our planet first formed!
In many cultures, it’s considered bad luck to kill a fly because you could anger what’s called “Otzi The Fly” or ˜The Angry Fly God’. This god takes revenge against those who harm his children and followers (houseflies). Some believe that if you don’t like them then just ignore them – after all, there are more than 20,000 types of insects out there!
What Happens in a Life Cycle of a Fly?
The female fly lays eggs and the larvae emerge from these. The larva will eat anything it can find, including rotting meat or other insects such as maggots! After three weeks time, the larva metamorphoses into an adult housefly with wings. And that is how they become one of Earth’s most successful animals – by just being there for 400 million years already!
Adult flies mate quickly. Without having to stop flying and only living about two months on average before dying off in cold weather. In warmer climates, females can lay up to 500 eggs during their lives while males may copulate more than 1000 times each day if possible! You might be relieved to know that houseflies avoid rotting meat and other animal carcasses, which can carry bacteria that cause diseases…unlike their babies. That is why you often see fly maggots in your trashcans over the summer.
Eww…
The Fly life cycle
The Fly lifecycle time varies as it depends on temperature and humidity. In the summer, eggs hatch in about 12 hours while in winter a few weeks may pass before they reach adulthood.
The cycle from egg to death can be anywhere between four days or three months!
The life cycle of a fly diagram
We have one of these for you in our packet – it is great for all visual learners!
The Fly Life Cycle
Egg
Larva* (maggot)
Pupa/Adulthood: this is when the fly can reproduce. The average lifespan of a housefly from egg to death is about one month or four days in the winter months.
Death
The cycle starts all over again! With eggs waiting for favorable conditions to hatch and grow into larvae…and so on and so forth. A larva emerges as soon as it has completed its development within the pupal stage – usually after two weeks at most but sometimes up to three months; you might see them crawling around if they escape their cocoons early! They are also called maggots because they typically feed
The life cycle of a fly worksheet
Yup, we have several worksheets for you — even down to fun housefly facts!
See it in our store HERE: Housefly Life Cycle, Instant Download, STEM Workbook, Digital Download, Kid’s Workbook, Housefly Lifecycle
I will say that this is one to learn about in theory…I am pretty sure you and your parents don’t want to harvest a bunch of maggots to use as a control for a study group. It is a lot different than studying say, a butterfly.
Other Life Cycle Articles we have done:
- The Lifecycle of a Ladybug: The Life and Times
- The Lifecycle of a Star: A Walk Through the Life Cycles
- The Life Cycle of a Butterfly: How They Grow and Change
- FREE Cow Life Cycle Learning Poster
- From Egg to Adult: The Praying Mantis Lifecycle
- How to Make a Snake Life Cycle Lapbook
- The Lifecycle of a Frog: A Look at the Baby, Tadpole, and Adult
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