Lexi Webster
The Australian Outback is known for its desolation, but the flies are a horror apart. The fly populations near human settlements and ranches in the Outback explode seasonally, making conditions unbearable for humans and animals in the vicinity. The reasons for the burgeoning numbers of flies include changing seasons, an abundance of animal dung, and the introduction of ruminants.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of fly species in Australia | 30,000 |
| Fly species that humans come into contact with | Bush fly, house fly, blowfly, and mosquito |
| Fly breeding grounds | Animal dung, human sweat, human tear glands |
| Dung beetle diet | Marsupial faeces |
| Fly population explosion | Changing seasons, animal dung, reduced number of dung beetles |
| Impact of flies | Agricultural, annoyance to humans and animals |
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What You'll Learn
Flies are attracted to the sugar in human sweat
The Australian outback is home to billions of flies, and they can be a nuisance to humans. Flies are attracted to human sweat, which is a great source of moisture for them. The sweat on our bodies, as well as the moisture around our eyes, mouths, and noses, provides the fluids that flies are seeking.
Flies are attracted to the sugar and salt content in human sweat. The human body produces these substances when sweating, and they are very appealing to flies. In addition, flies are attracted to a variety of body odours. Each person's sweat smells unique, and some people have a sweeter body odour.
Perfumes and other fragrances can mix with sweat and natural odours, creating an even more appealing aroma for flies. However, this does not necessarily mean that a person smells bad to other humans. Flies are simply attracted to potent odours, and they will be drawn to people who sweat more or bathe less frequently.
Flies are also attracted to wounds, as they provide a moist, odorous environment with easy access to fluids. They are drawn to decaying organic matter, and the human body releases similar chemical compounds during perspiration. These compounds cause flies to mistake human sweat for a potential breeding ground.
Furthermore, flies have a highly developed sense of smell, with advanced olfactory receptors that can detect odours from miles away. They are drawn to brightly coloured or high-contrast foods, as well as sweet substances like ripe fruits, syrups, and desserts. These foods provide energy for flies, and their sweet scent is irresistible.
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Dung beetles reduce fly populations
Dung beetles are important insects for pasture ecology and soil health. They are nature's recyclers and play a crucial role in reducing fly populations.
Dung beetles use the manure of other animals, particularly herbivores like cows and elephants, to feed and breed. They have specialised antennae that can detect the scent of dung from miles away, and strong wings that allow them to travel long distances in search of the perfect dung pat.
The female dung beetle lays her eggs on top of or inside the manure piles, and the entire development from egg to adult takes place in and around the dung. The adult beetles feed on the smelly liquid in the dung, which is full of nutritious microorganisms.
By burying and breaking down animal dung, dung beetles help to clear pastures of dung accumulation. This improves soil structure and increases water infiltration, providing essential nutrients for grass growth. In doing so, they also reduce the breeding areas for flies, thereby controlling fly populations.
In some parts of the world, such as Texas and Australia, dung beetles are especially important for managing cattle dung. In Australia, the introduction of African dung beetles, which are well-suited to open fields, has helped to control fly populations by reducing the amount of manure available for fly larvae to feed and develop in.
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Cattle and sheep manure provide perfect breeding grounds
The Australian outback is known for its pest problem, with flies being a particular nuisance. While the outback is home to many dangerous creatures, it is the flies that are the biggest problem for people and livestock. The reasons for the large fly populations include changing seasons and an abundance of animal dung.
Flies rely on excrement to reproduce, and before the introduction of ruminants, it was scarce in the dry Australian climate. When cattle were introduced to Australia, the population of flies exploded. Cattle deposit around nine large, moist faecal deposits per day, which are ideal for fly larvae incubation.
To combat the issue of flies, foreign dung beetle species were introduced to clear up the animal faeces that the flies breed on. The CSIRO dung beetle program has been running since 1966. While the project was shut down, it has recently been revived to help landowners deal with flies.
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Females need protein to produce eggs
Australia is home to about 30,000 species of flies, with the bush fly, house fly, blowfly, and mosquito being the most common. The female flies of some species, such as the bush fly, require protein to produce eggs. This is why they are attracted to humans, as they seek the protein-rich moisture around our eyes, mouths, and noses.
Female flies only lay eggs after mating. A protein found in fly sperm removes the inhibitory signals in the female fly's neurons, unblocking the pathway to egg-laying. The female fruit fly can lay hundreds of eggs in her short life. Similarly, a female house fly is capable of laying up to 150 eggs in a batch and can produce five to six batches of eggs over a few days.
The egg-laying neurons in female flies are also activated by sensory cues that indicate an ideal spot for egg-laying. For example, a soft piece of rotting fruit provides a rich food source for their offspring. Female flies favor damp, dark surfaces such as compost, manure, and other decomposing organic material for egg-laying.
Flies play an important role in the ecosystem as pollinators and recyclers. They help in the decomposition of organic matter, including human and animal waste. While flies may be a nuisance, they are a vital part of the environment and contribute to the food chain by serving as a food source for other organisms, such as birds.
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Flies are excellent pollinators
Flies are considered excellent pollinators for several reasons. Firstly, they visit flowers to feed on nectar and pollen, which are rich in energy and protein, respectively. In the process, they inadvertently transport pollen from one flower to another, facilitating pollination. This makes them key pollinators of hundreds of species of cultivated plants, including cacao, mango, cashew, avocado, and oilseed rape. Flies have also been observed visiting the flowers of more than 1100 different plant species, indicating their likely significant contribution to global plant pollination.
Flies belong to the insect order Diptera, which includes several families of fly pollinators such as Calliphoridae (blow flies), Syrphidae (hover flies), Sarcophagidae (flesh flies), and more. Syrphids, in particular, are recognised as important pollinators due to their abundance and presence in various habitats, especially in high-altitude and high-latitude regions. They are also meticulous flower visitors, actively foraging on nectar and pollen from each individual flower present on a plant.
Bee-flies, which resemble bumblebees due to their rounded and hairy bodies, are another important group of fly pollinators. They are easily distinguished by their elongated and forward-pointing feeding apparatus. Bee-flies are specialised for feeding primarily on nectar, making them frequent and careful visitors to flowers. Their elongated mouthparts enable them to access nectar from open and tubular flowers.
The role of flies as pollinators is economically significant, with an estimated annual value of $300 billion globally. In Australia, flies are being considered for use in managed pollination services to supplement or augment honey bee services. This is particularly relevant in Australian horticulture, which heavily relies on the introduced honey bee, Apis mellifera, for crop pollination. By identifying additional fly taxa that can be managed for pollination, Australia can reduce the risks associated with depending on a single species.
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Frequently asked questions
Flies are attracted to the Outback due to the hot, dry winds and the abundance of animal dung, which they use for breeding. They also feed on the electrolytes in human sweat and the moisture around our eyes, mouths, and noses.
The flies in the Australian Outback are attracted to the electrolytes in human sweat and the moisture around our eyes, mouths, and noses. According to Dr. David Yeates, director of the CSIRO's National Insect Collection, "we probably look like delicious human milkshakes to some flies."
Flies in the Outback can be a nuisance to both humans and animals, with people having to use fly nets to make life bearable. They can also cause significant agricultural impacts, such as decimating harvests in the $13 billion horticulture industry.
One way to reduce the fly population is to introduce foreign dung beetle species, which feed on the animal feces that flies breed on. Australia's CSIRO dung beetle program has been running since 1966, and while it was shut down, it has recently been revived commercially.
While flies can be a nuisance, they are also an important part of the Australian ecosystem. They are excellent pollinators, and they are also nature's recyclers, helping to break down organic matter.
