About that fly on the wall…

Flies are generally regarded as repulsive little insects created solely to annoy the shit out of humans, never mind them eating it, by landing on our ready-to-be-eaten food. They also have a nasty habit of landing on various parts of our body, especially on a hot and sticky day, and seem to enjoy landing and taking a dip in your cold drink or beer just when you are about to take a sip.

Eaters and cleaners of poo and other crap

However, a bit of research shows that like everything else in existence, these critters have an important role to play in our ecosystem. Without them, a problem on our planet, like pollution for one, could be a lot worse. They are great pollinators, they clean up our leftover waste and can also be used to replace conventional agricultural feed one day are just a few examples of the fly’s usefulness.

Flies have a close commensal relationship with us humans and that they are found wherever we are in the world is probably due to co-migration with humans is one conclusion experts have arrived at.

Definition of commensalism in biology: a relationship between individuals of two species in which one species obtains food or other benefits from the other without either harming or benefiting the latter.

In this case, the commensal in the relationship is the fly as it is smaller than a human and therefore receives the benefits. Think of the smaller pilot fish that attach themselves to sharks or bigger fish and eat the leftovers. Likewise small birds that eat lice and fleas off animals.

One day a long long time ago…

However, these six-legged bugs have been around a lot longer than us bipeds, in fact, any bipeds. About 250 million years actually, which makes them second only to their distant cousins the beetles (around 300 million years). Moths, wasps, and dinosaurs only appeared on the scene between 150 and 165 million years ago, and we modern homo sapiens (“wise humans”) were the new kids on the block about 165 000 years ago. Archaic (Neanderthal) homo sapiens appeared about 300 000 years ago.

Dinosaurs are extinct, as are our neanderthal cousins, but our friend the fly is still around.

Friends on many levels

“Our friend” because around 60% of human DNA is identical to that of the fruit fly, and in lesser percentages in the other more than 110 000 known variations of the species. Fruit flies are great models for the study of human diseases because roughly 75% of the genes that cause disease in humans are also found in fruit flies.

Maybe The Fly (1986) starring Jeff Goldblum (brilliant) was not as far-fetched as we think!

I think it’s a bit misleading, as it has been suggested, to say that the commensal relationship between flies, or dipterans (insects that undergo radical metamorphosis) and humans is most probably due to co-migration. Even though we literally often eat at the same table, they were at the table long before we were.

They are watching us

Not much escapes the fly. They may only have one pair of large compound eyes, but both those eyes have between 4000 and 4500 individual lenses that miss nothing. They can see what’s to the right of them to the left, on top, below, in front, and behind. That’s why if you manage to swat the blighter it’s mostly luck. You are never going to sneak up on Mr. Fly! With his three-dimensional view, he can see you coming and respond instantly to the slightest movement.

Even though they don’t have ears flies have a superb hearing system that rivals that of owls and cats and works through their antennae and allows them to pinpoint the origin of sounds. They can also smell through their antennae. Being as small as they are, they have many enemies, but these parasites are equipped to be one of nature's big survivors.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

Shit-eaters they may be but many people think that they are bootiful in a certain way. I certainly didn’t think so though many years ago when in the South African army I had swarms of the blighters hitching a lift on me while on patrol fully kitted, armed, and sweating in the stinking heat of the Angolan bush smeared in stinking “black is beautiful” camouflage cream!

Waiting for you to have a shit so they can call thousands more of their cousins to join in the feast.

Today I still don’t think they are bootiful. But I’m a lot more aware of these little guys that have been around for a very, very long time. Especially when there’s one parking on the wall, on your TV, on your steak, floating and crapping in your beer…

The flies have got eyes and ears everywhere, they remember things, they got short-term memories, they have a heart, and they can learn simple tasks. It’s proven they can be irritated and they’re also big mates with the elephant in the room, whether it be white or pink…

Flies have us homo sapiens taped. They may only live for 15-30 days, but they are many compared to us.

Be aware and be careful what you say.

Coming soon: Interview With the Fly On the Wall

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