What is a fly?
Q: What is a fly?
A: A fly is an insect of the order Diptera. It has two flight wings on its thorax and a pair of halteres, which act as flight sensors.
Q: How do flies use their eyes and halteres to fly?
A: Flies have large eyes with excellent wide-angle vision, which they use in combination with their halteres to make quick and precise calculations while flying. This helps them avoid predators and makes them difficult to catch by hand.
Q: What other order of insects has two true working wings plus any form of halteres?
A: The only other order of insects bearing two true, working wings plus any form of halteres are the Strepsiptera. In contrast to the flies, the Strepsiptera evolved their halteres from their front wings and their flight wings are their rear wings.
Q: What distinguishes true flies from other insects with "fly" in their name?
A: The presence of a single pair of wings distinguishes true flies from other insects with "fly" in their name, such as mayflies, dragonflies, damselflies, stoneflies, whiteflies, fireflies, sawflies, caddisflies, butterflies or scorpionflies.
Q: Are there any wingless true flies?
A: Yes - some true flies have become secondarily wingless over time including those that live in social insect colonies.
Q: How can newborn baby flies already know how to fly like an ace?
A: Baby flies can already instinctively know how to fly like an ace at birth due to evolution and adaptation over time - it's almost as if they were born knowing what to do when put into the cockpit of a fighter aircraft!
Q: What is the main adaptation that allows flies to avoid predators?
A: The main adaptation that allows flies to avoid predators is through jinks (sudden changes in direction), dives and turns while flying - this helps them quickly calculate where threats are coming from so they can get away safely.
