I read that adult houseflies live for 15-25 days, but popular belief and many television shows suggest that adult fly lifespans last for 24 hours. Judging by how many days a certain fly has been in a certain room in my house, I'm inclined to agree with the 15-25 day study.
Disney and Pixar's "A Bug's Life," for example, had a quote said by a fly that went, "I only have 24 hours to live, and I'm not spending it here!"
Was there a study that suggested this false information? Or is there another species of fly which is confused for houseflies?
2006-09-17 05:15:56 · 7 answers · asked by Megan 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
In response to the answer about where I originally heard the 24-hour lifespan information from.
I cannot recall the exact source of the information, I vaguely remember hearing about it in biology class way back in highschool. One of the answers below may be correct, suggesting it was the fruit fly with the 24 hour lifespan and not the housefly.
As for taking information from a fictional piece of work: The fact that the writers of the movie would give one of the actors that line is proof that there must be some basis (at least an old-wives-tale) that prompted such a line be written.
2006-09-17 05:32:53 · update #1
Flies certainly have a lifespan longer than 24 hours, You say you heard it on a TV show, but you don't mention which show. I am pretty sure it wasn't Nova, or Nature on PBS because they are pretty good about information like that..............as for a Bug's Life, it is never a good idea to take information from a fictional piece of work as fact, especially an animated fictional piece of work.
As for the fruit fly.................a fruit fly has a life span of several days which has made it a perfect model organism for cytogeneticists (and I have fond memories of my days as a genetics students feeding fruit flies, only to kill them a couple of days later)
2006-09-17 05:25:51 · answer #1 · answered by cyrenaica 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Different types of fly live for different lifespans. The average housefly will ive for 15 to 30 days if it has access to food and water. A mayfly lives for 24 hours or less - just long enough to mate (but the larva has been alive in a pond or stream for 18 months - so its not such a short life). Its worth remembering that lots of insects have a whole other life as a larva or maggot before they become a whole new creature as an adult!
2006-09-17 05:27:41 · answer #2 · answered by Robert W 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I never heard that a house fly lives for only 24 hours. I think you are referring to fruit flys. Fruit flys have a life span of about 24 hours. Good Luck ! :) ( Maybe people get them confused ) .....
2006-09-17 05:19:01 · answer #3 · answered by tysavage2001 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't know where that came from. I have been told the 24 hour lifespan since I was a child. I never checked out if it was accurate. Thank you.
2006-09-17 05:23:46 · answer #4 · answered by Patti C 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
maybe the adult form of the fly only lasts 24 hours, yet the younger flies in development might live a little more, or maybe the fly u observed were actually more than a fly
2006-09-17 05:19:09 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think it depends on if you have a window in the room or not, they'll mostlikely try getting out through it not knowing that its hard and hit it so manytimes they end up dying.
2006-09-17 05:18:33 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Maybe they only make it 24 hrs. before someone SWATS 'em.!
2006-09-17 05:20:01 · answer #7 · answered by kelsey 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋