Why do flies rub their paws. Why do flies rub their paws How many days does a fly live
Well, we have all seen this insect, moreover, many times. Flies are annoying, impudent, they fly around us, climb on window glass, sit on the walls and ceiling and slowly feast on food or leftovers from them, living quite happily.
From time to time - and we all could also observe this - sitting down somewhere, a fly with a satisfied physiognomy begins to rub its paws, as if anticipating some vile thing that it will now do, or rejoicing at the dirty trick already done. There is quite a bit of truth in this, as it seems to the author who writes these lines.
And this rubbing of the paws is similar to cleaning and washing them. This, in general, is what it is. But this washing-cleansing brings another, main function for fly paws.
Everything, as always, was clarified by scientists who took flies rubbing their paws extremely seriously. So, wondering why the fly is so free and, spitting on all physical laws, so naturally and freely moves along vertical surfaces, smooth as glass, the scientists found that there are claws on each fly's foot. Bristle hairs grow between the claws, and each of these hairs has a round sucker pad at the end. Phenomenal! This sucker leaves tiny specks on the surfaces, and, having examined these specks-traces under a microscope and having analyzed them, pundits have come to the conclusion that the specks-traces are fatty. And fat is an object that provides a large surface tension, which does not allow the fly to fall off the window pane.
Moreover, fueled by interest and financial injections, scientists went further in their research and decided to conduct a research experiment. They caught the flies that were supposed to participate in their experiment and degreased their paws. And then they placed them on a glass surface.
And what do you think?
The suckers from their paws did not go anywhere, but the flies not only could not stay on the vertical surface, they also slithered on the horizontal, completely losing coordination of movements.
Here it is, as it turns out! Flies rub their paws not only in anticipation of a treat or an imminent accomplishment of nasty things! main reason rubbing the paws of flies is that they (consciously or mechanically) clean their hairs with suction cups from dirt, dust and bacteria in order to provide them with better adhesion to the surfaces on which they sat down and on which they intend to crawl, that is, to walk.
The fact is that the hair on the legs of the fly secrete a sticky fatty liquid, which leaves fatty spots that have interested scientists so much. Dust, fine grains of sand and other matter, of course, stick to the paws of the fly, which makes it difficult to adhere to surfaces, so the fly is forced to clean them from time to time, because it is clean, despite the fact that it can be a carrier of a large number of diseases on these paws. .
Yes, and more. With its paws, or rather, bristles, the fly feels the taste of food. That is, the organs of touch and taste are on her legs. And these organs will be better analyzers of food than the human mouth, and tongue in particular. So, here...
Flies have to be encountered every warm season by representatives of rural and urban areas. They're calm through open windows, doors, cracks in the wall. Very often they can be found doing one interesting activity - rubbing limbs. Why do flies rub their paws, is there a deep meaning in this, or do they do it for aesthetic reasons.
The fly rubs its paws against each other to clean them of contamination. Many insects do this, but in this case there is another hidden meaning.
The limbs of the fly end in special pads, which are periodically covered with a special fat - lard. This feature allows insects to stay on a smooth, slippery surface, and even. The pest sits quietly on the glass for as long as it takes.
Over time, the fat layer is erased due to contamination of the legs. Particles of dust and food cling to them. Periodically rub the paws to remove dirt, renew sebaceous accumulations.
On a note!
If the pest is immersed in hexane for a few seconds, then placed on glass, it will not be able to hold on. Sits on any comfortable surface, begins to wipe the legs. This action stimulates the production of fat. It is worth rubbing your legs a little, after a few minutes you will be able to calmly crawl on the glass in any direction.
The role of the limbs
Insects need paws to move on a hard surface, but their functions are not limited to this. The pulvillae have short but numerous setae, which are organs of touch and taste. The legs are analyzed better than a person does with the tongue. This is another answer to the question of why flies rub their paws. So that the organs of smell, touch do not lose their full-fledged functions, you have to constantly wipe your paws and clean them.
If you've seen a fly rub its paws, you've probably wondered why it does it. Most likely, you think that when a fly rubs its paws, it cleans them.
And you are absolutely right!
Why is she doing this? Is the fly, the carrier of many infections and bacteria, really clean?
The end of the fly's foot (275 times magnification).
Between two large "hooks" a small pillow is visible.
small bristles that secrete a sticky liquid.
Photo: Trevor A. Minning, Source: filebox.vt.edu
Not certainly in that way. The fly does clean the dirt off its paws, but not at all for hygiene reasons.
The fact is that the fly's foot ends in two pads - pulvills. Pulvilli covered with fine setae. These bristles exude a sticky fluid that is made up of a mixture of carbohydrates and fats. The sticky secret (liquid) of the bristles keeps the fly on a smooth surface by capillary attraction.
By studying the tracks of flies walking on clean surfaces, the scientists found that they are identical in shape to the pads at the ends of the paws. Chemical analysis of traces showed that they are composed of fats. Although grease itself is slippery, it promotes adhesion of hairs and smooth surfaces such as glass. The reason is the high surface tension of fat. If the paws of a fly are degreased by immersing them in hexane for a short time, then the fly loses its ability to move on a glass surface for a while - it will begin to slide.
Of course, when a fly crawls on various surfaces, dirt collects on the sticky pads and bristles of its paws. So that the grip of the paws with the surface during crawling does not worsen because of this, the fly regularly “toilet” all six paws, cleaning them of adhering particles of debris.
By the way...
On the pulvilles, in addition, the fly has short bristles - the organs of touch and taste. That is, the fly tastes first of all ... with its feet, and only then with its proboscis and sucking blades! Moreover, a fly analyzes food with its feet 100-200 times better than a person with its tongue.
What is the fly up to when rubbing its paws? As soon as the winter colds are replaced by warm sunny days, flies fly into our homes. It is generally accepted that flies are the dirtiest of all insects, because they carry a lot of different microbes on themselves.
Have you noticed that a fly, sitting on some surface, immediately begins to rub its paws. Why and why do flies rub their paws? Maybe the fly has erogenous zones on its limbs, or is it just cleaning its paws?
In order to get an answer to this question, scientists armed themselves with instruments and equipment. And it turned out that on each limb there are microscopic hairs that resemble bristles. In turn, each hair has a small disk-shaped suction cup. This sucker secretes a fatty substance.
It is this fat that connects the hairs on the legs and the surfaces on which the fly sits. Therefore, it is not surprising that flies so easily manage to sit on glass vertical surfaces. When rubbing, the hairs are cleaned of the remnants of fat in order to highlight a portion of fresh and better stick.
Well, if the limbs are degreased, then the fly will not be able to sit on any slippery surface.
