Generalities about flies
In order to know the answer to why flies rub their legs, we are first going to review some general aspects of flies:
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Why do flies rub their “hands”?
- Body divided into three parts: head, thorax and abdomen.
- Great visual range and quick perception of movement.
- pair of wings: Unlike most flying insects, which have four, flies have two and they help maintain balance during flight.
- Thin but membranous wings.
- Different oral appliance: depending on the type of fly we are talking about, such as the house fly, the blowfly or the fruit fly, it has a licking-sucking type mouthpart. However, in other types of flies it can be the piercing type.
- Complex sensory system: like many other insects such as bees.
- Set of sensory cells: that allow you to perceive smells and flavors through chemo reception.
- sexual reproduction: They also carry out the process of metamorphosis.
- Beneficial for the environment: although there are several species of flies that carry pathogens that cause diseases in people and domestic animals, there are also beneficial flies, since they can be pollinators, participate in the degradation of decomposing matter and form an important part of networks. trophic, serving as food for other animals.
Do flies rub their “hands”?
As we have mentioned, flies have a complex sensory system, which is extremely useful not only for perceive the odors of a potential food source, but also to escape from the perception of any type of danger.
Now, when asked why flies rub their hands, the answer has to do with an aspect that may seem a little strange to you, considering that these are insects that we associate with dirty places or the presence of decomposed matter. Flies rub their paws to remove particles that may have accumulated in the same. In this sense, when they do so, they remove the dirt that has adhered, thanks to the fact that these extremities are not completely smooth and have structures similar to bristles, which when rubbed makes it easier to clean them. But they not only do this with their paws, but also They can do it in the head and antennas.
Depending on the species, flies can feed on plants, blood, decomposing animal remains, human waste, and even other insects. For example:
- The house fly (Musca domestica) consumes practically any food that is in homes.
- The fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) feeds only on fruits, especially if they are fermented.
- The horn fly (Haematobia irritans) sucks blood from cattle.
- Carnivorous flies, such as those that belong to the Asilidae family, are very aggressive and devour other insects.
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Why do flies rub their “hands”?
How flies feed
Flies have a very varied way of feeding depending on the group, as we have read. This means that in many cases, when eating their food, there is matter that ends up sticking to their legs, antennae or body in general. In this sense, if we consider that flies have part of the sensory system in their legs, which is of vital importance, we understand the need to remain cleanwhich is why these insects constantly rub them.
These flying insects depend on their senses and part of their sensory system to develop properly. In this way, when they place themselves in certain places to eat, they end up getting dirty, which could reduce the capacity of the aforementioned senses. They need to be constantly cleaned for their senses to function properly and thus be able to continue perceiving smells and flavors.