Who is she?
When you hear the phrase “dung fly,” your imagination immediately pictures a swarm of shiny green insects swarming in the dung. This fly is actually different. It doesn't shine, and it doesn't live in manure.
The dung fly is quite attractive in appearance: its entire body is covered with long thick hairs of yellow or dark gray color, so that it looks like a cute furry toy. The adult size of some species reaches 12-15 mm, that is, it is almost the same as an ordinary housefly. On her head there are antennae, as well as large eyes of brown-red shades.
Athericidae
The remains of this insect were found in China in Jurassic deposits. The most ancient ancestors of modern flies of the order Tabanomorpha led an ectoparasitic lifestyle.
Modern flies grow up to 18 mm and have an unusual cone-shaped body structure. Huge red eyes stand out on the small head. Usually black with thin white stripes. Another characteristic feature is their long legs, which make them look like mosquitoes.
Most of them feed on nectar, but females of some species feed on blood to produce offspring.
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Where does he live?
Judging by the name, it seems that the dung fly must live in or feed on manure. This is wrong. In fact, she lives in the wonderful world of flowers; she can easily be found in the garden among the fragrant plants. Like the bee, the dung fly, whose yellow fur is an excellent pollen collector, is involved in pollinating flowers. But it also does not feed on nectar or pollen.
The dung beetle is a predator. She attacks other insects and kills them with an instant bite from her powerful jaws. The dung beetle has long spines on its paws, with which it captures and holds its prey. It can also hunt flies of other species, and sometimes the prey is larger than the hunter herself.
Here, for example, is a dung fly, a photo of which was taken at the moment of an attack on a housefly (see above).
Gadflies
Horseflies are often confused with gadflies due to the similarity in size. But the difference between them is very big. In terms of harm, gadflies are more dangerous than horse flies. Botflies are also large flies. Their size ranges from 9 to 25 mm. Some of these flies mimic bumblebees.
Gadfly
An adult gadfly does not drink blood and does not feed at all. It is not the fly itself that is dangerous, but its larvae, which parasitize the body of mammals.
Gadflies are widespread throughout Russia. They attack livestock, causing serious damage to livestock production. Parasitic larvae, gnawing passages in soft tissues, bother animals. As a result, livestock reduces weight gain and milk yield.
Gastric gadfly larvae are analogues of worms. The only difference between them is that the larvae come out to pupate, while the worms continue to live in the intestines.
The head of gadflies is flattened and wide. Most species do not have stubble on their eyes. Males have larger eyes and set them closer than females. The oral apparatus is either completely absent or greatly reduced.
Gadflies, compared to horseflies, are fluffy, large flies. The chest of gadflies is covered with stubble. Depending on the type, the bristles can be:
- short;
- long;
- standing;
- adjacent.
The thick, short legs are also covered with dense hairs. The wings are transparent. The abdomen can be conical or spherical.
So why is it called that?
The fact is that the dung fly lays eggs in cattle manure. Undoubtedly, this is the place where the required temperature is maintained for eggs and larvae. After about a day, the eggs hatch into larvae, which, by the way, also do not eat manure, but get the opportunity to hunt the larvae of other insects.
The population numbers about five hundred species. Therefore, the dung fly may not always hatch its larvae in manure. Some species develop in plant stems, algae, etc.
The larvae of some species of dung flies lead a “vegetarian” lifestyle - they are hatched in the leaves of plants. The fly lays eggs, attaching them to a leaf. After a while, a larva appears that mines the leaves, that is, it gnaws holes inside the leaf. Then it pupates, and after a while a new dung fly emerges from the pupa.
Do dung beetles live in apartments?
Since dung beetles are predators, they usually have nothing to eat in the house. Therefore, they are extremely rarely found in a person’s home, unless a fly flew into the house purely by accident.
Corrals for livestock are their habitat only during the mating season, when it is necessary to conceive and breed offspring. At this time, male dung flies flock to fresh dung and wait for females. When they appear, sometimes several gentlemen rush to one lady at once, trying to preserve their gene pool.
Entomological scientists have found that the most preferable for flies is the manure of pigs, as well as the manure of young calves feeding on milk. It stays fresh the longest and maintains the necessary temperature for the life and development of larvae, while horse manure dries out quite quickly.
Danger to humans and consequences of bites
Despite the fact that human blood is not suitable for the full development of the moose fly, the parasites also attack humans. In 54% of cases, such attacks are of a mass nature. Unlike other ectoparasites, the deer bloodsucker does not produce an enzyme that has an analgesic effect when piercing the skin of the victim. Therefore, the bite of an elk fly is quite painful and unpleasant. Most often, hunters, shepherds, mushroom pickers and lovers of forest walks in the autumn forest in calm, windless weather suffer from parasites. The greatest activity of bloodsuckers is observed from August to September.
Once on a person’s body or clothing, the tick-like fly remains motionless for some time, thereby lulling the victim’s vigilance. The period of inactivity can last about an hour, and then the bloodsucker begins to move in search of a secluded and favorable place for feeding. Most of all, the moose fly is attracted to the head, since there is something to cling to and calmly get enough blood. Tenacious claws and a special body structure allow the parasite to reliably stick to its “host”. The elk tick is very difficult to remove, shake off, or simply scare away with sudden movements. It holds firmly to the body of the selected object even when walking quickly. Flies remain in a person's hair or skin until they are removed or they accidentally fall off on their own after intense saturation.
moose fly
People react differently to flatworm bites. Some people instantly feel pain, others simply may not feel the moment the skin is pierced. But the consequences of contact with a blood-sucking fly that has managed to stick to the body will definitely appear. They are what makes the moose fly dangerous to humans.
Moose fly causes serious skin ailments that are quite difficult to treat:
- hard papules, blisters and macular rashes with characteristic crusts;
- severe itching and redness of the tissues adjacent to the wound;
- formation of stable dermographism.
Depending on the general physical condition of the human body, a reaction to a moose fly bite may appear within the first 24 hours, and in some cases – after 10-21 days. Having discovered an open itchy wound on the body, in order to avoid complications, you should first perform the following actions:
- treat the bite site with disinfectants;
- take any antiallergic drug;
- lubricate the wound with an antipruritic composition and seal it with a band-aid.
After all these manipulations, you need to consult a doctor for effective treatment.
Are dung flies harmful?
The dung fly itself is not a pest for humans. Although it crawls through manure, it rarely flies into homes, so it does not have the opportunity to spread pathogenic bacteria. The insect also does not pose a threat to animals.
But sometimes there are too many flies, and they can begin to bother the animals, getting into their eyes and ears. That’s when farmers have a question about how to reduce the number of annoying insects.
In addition, leaf miner larvae are a serious problem for gardeners, as they damage plant leaves by digging tunnels through them to move around.
Transparent hoverfly / Volucella pellucens
The small fly has spread widely throughout Europe, as well as in the countries of Southeast Asia and Japan. Adult females and males grow up to 16 mm in length.
The coloring of the thickened body resembles that of a bee. This coloring helps the hoverfly escape from natural enemies, and it has quite a lot of them. These include birds, insectivorous reptiles and amphibians.
The transparent hoverfly feeds on nectar. Females lay eggs in wasp hives.
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Methods for controlling flies
It is best to use insecticides containing pyrethrum as a last resort. The fact is that pyrethrum is very toxic; to work with it, it is necessary to take precautions such as a respirator and gloves, in addition, it is necessary to protect exposed skin. The use of such a product can affect domestic animals, as well as plants, so it is necessary to strictly follow the instructions and take into account the proportions.
In this case, the flies will die after the first spraying, but the larvae and eggs have increased endurance, so in any case more than one treatment will be required.
Methods for controlling dung beetles include:
- removal and destruction of affected leaves;
- growing plants under a cloth that prevents the penetration of flies;
- Regular cleaning of pens where livestock are kept.
In addition, do not forget about such methods of getting rid of flies as regular sticky tape. Velcro hanging in the barn will be able to control the number of insects for some time. An effective way to combat them can be laurel oil, which should be rubbed onto window frames, as well as doorways in the pen. The smell of laurel oil repels dung beetles, as well as many other pests.
