Damon Mcknight
Australia is home to about 30,000 species of flies, and while they may be annoying, they are essential insects. The most common type of fly in Australia is the bush fly, which feeds on sweat and tears and lays its eggs in animal dung. The introduction of cattle to Australia led to a boom in the bush fly population, as they provided the perfect breeding ground for flies. Flies are also important pollinators and recyclers, helping to support agricultural production and plant life. Despite their persistence, they are mostly harmless and pose no serious threat to health.
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What You'll Learn
- Bush flies are born from eggs laid in dung, which was scarce before the introduction of ruminants
- Females seek out humans because they need protein to produce eggs
- They are persistent and inspired the 'Aussie salute' — a gesture of waving flies away from the face
- Flies are nature's recyclers, and their larvae are great decomposers
- The introduction of foreign dung beetles in the 1960s helped mitigate the problem
Bush flies are born from eggs laid in dung, which was scarce before the introduction of ruminants
The Australian bush fly, Musca vetustissima, is a pest that has long plagued the country. The flies are born from eggs laid in dung, which was scarce before the introduction of ruminants. The female bush fly is the one that lays the eggs, and they do so in moist dung or manure. The eggs hatch into maggots, which feed on the dung. The maggots then moult and pupate in the soil in a cylindrical brown cocoon. The pupa is drought-resistant and can stay in the soil for a long time, even years, until the right conditions are met for an adult fly to emerge.
The introduction of ruminants, such as cattle, to Australia provided the perfect breeding ground for bush flies. Cattle deposit large amounts of dung, which is ideal for fly larvae incubation. The dung is moist and provides the high protein content needed for the larvae to grow into adult flies. Before the introduction of ruminants, the bush flies relied on the excrement of native animals like emus, which was less abundant and less suitable for their reproduction.
The abundance of ruminant dung in Australia has led to a boom in the bush fly population. This has been mitigated to some extent by the introduction of foreign dung beetles, which break up and bury the dung, making it inaccessible to the flies. The activities of these beetles have been shown to significantly reduce the number of fly larvae that survive to adulthood.
The life cycle of the bush fly, from egg to adult, can be as short as two weeks. This rapid reproduction can lead to large numbers of flies in a short period, contributing to their status as a pest. The adult flies are also attracted to human faces as they seek protein from the tear glands of mammals to produce eggs. This behaviour can be annoying and uncomfortable for people, further adding to the perception of bush flies as a nuisance.
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Females seek out humans because they need protein to produce eggs
There are about 30,000 species of flies in Australia, but humans typically only come into contact with four groups: the bush fly, house fly, blowfly, and the mosquito. The bush fly is the iconic Australian fly and is found countrywide. They are so persistent that they inspired the "Aussie salute", a characteristic gesture of waving flies away from the face.
Bush flies received a huge boost when cattle were introduced to Australia. Before that, emus were important for the bush fly, as their large, wet droppings were perfect for fly larvae incubation. However, the introduction of cattle, which deposit around nine large, moist droppings per day, provided the ideal breeding ground for flies. The Australian native dung beetles can only process marsupial faeces, so the faeces produced by cows, sheep, and pigs were perfect breeding grounds for flies.
Flies are drawn to humans because they are attracted to the salt in human sweat and tears. They also need protein to produce eggs, which they get from the tear glands of mammals. This is why they are often found hovering around human faces.
Female flies are great at finding rotting organic matter, such as dung or dead bodies, to lay their eggs in. The larvae then feed on this matter and grow into flies, which become a food source for birds.
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They are persistent and inspired the 'Aussie salute' — a gesture of waving flies away from the face
Flies in Australia are renowned for their persistence, and their presence has inspired the iconic 'Aussie salute'—a gesture of constantly waving flies away from the face. This incessant waving is a tell-tale sign of an Aussie struggling with the country's ubiquitous fly problem.
The Aussie salute is a testament to the
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Flies are nature's recyclers, and their larvae are great decomposers
Fly larvae, also known as maggots, are particularly efficient decomposers. They consume and break down decaying organic material, accelerating the decomposition process. This decomposition process is not limited to just dung, as fly larvae are also known to feed on dead bodies, playing a crucial role in the cleanup of carrion. Blow flies, for example, are usually the first to arrive at a carcass and begin the decomposition process.
The role of flies and their larvae as recyclers and decomposers has gained recognition in the field of insect biomanufacturing. Black soldier flies (Hermetia illucens), in particular, have attracted attention for their ability to rapidly consume and process large quantities of organic waste. Through the use of synthetic biology, researchers are exploring ways to utilise these flies as a sustainable biomanufacturing platform for creating enhanced animal feeds, valuable biomolecules, and improved fertilisers.
In Australia, flies are especially prevalent due to the introduction of cattle, which provide an abundant source of manure for their reproduction. The bush fly, Musca vetustissima, is a species native to Australia that relies on excrement for reproduction. The introduction of ruminants, such as cattle and sheep, led to an explosion in their population. This was mitigated to some extent by the introduction of foreign dung beetles in the 1960s, which helped bury the cow and sheep dung that was not being processed by native dung beetles.
While flies may be annoying to humans, they play an essential role in the ecosystem as nature's recyclers. Their larvae are excellent decomposers, breaking down organic matter and enriching the soil with nutrients. This process not only helps in waste management but also contributes to the overall health of the environment.
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The introduction of foreign dung beetles in the 1960s helped mitigate the problem
Australia is home to about 30,000 species of flies, with the bush fly, house fly, blowfly, and mosquito being the most common. Flies are drawn to humans because they are a great source of protein, which female flies require to produce eggs.
Bornemissza, an entomologist and ecologist, first noticed the large number of cattle dung pads on Australian farmland upon his arrival in 1951. In contrast, the fields in Europe were free of dung pads as it was recycled back into the soil by various species of dung beetles. Australia's native dung beetles had co-evolved with marsupials and were not adapted to process cattle dung effectively, leading to an increase in fly populations.
In the late 1950s, Bornemissza suggested that foreign dung beetles could be imported into Australia to address this issue. A pilot project commenced in 1966 to import foreign dung beetles into northern Australia, with seven species selected and shipped from Hawaii. Five species were mass-reared for general release, and three were successful. From 1967 to 1982, CSIRO imported 55 species of dung beetles, with 29 of those being liberated in at least one locality in Northern Australia.
The introduction of these foreign dung beetles helped to reduce fly populations by disturbing and burying their breeding sites. Dung beetles also provided additional benefits, such as improving soil quality and reducing water runoff. The success of the project is evident in Canberra's first fly-free summer recorded in 2018, attributed to the presence of dung beetles.
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Frequently asked questions
Flies in Australia are considered a nuisance because of their persistence in seeking out human contact. They are attracted to the sweat and tears of mammals, which they drink to quench their thirst. They also require protein from humans to produce eggs.
There are about 30,000 species of flies in Australia, but only a few are commonly encountered, such as the bush fly, house fly, blowfly, and mosquito.
The introduction of cattle and other livestock to Australia provided an abundance of excrement, which is an ideal breeding ground for flies, causing their population to explode.
Fly season in Australia typically occurs during the early summer months, with some variation depending on the region.
