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All that we call flies are insects belonging to the order dipther of arthropods. Despite the differences between each species, they are all identified by the average size of 0.5 cm (with the exception of giant flies, which can reach 6 cm), a pair of membranous wings and those faceted eyes which in many cases are seen with the naked eye and draw attention to the color variation. It's normal to feel curious about them, so different from other animals, sometimes colorful... have you ever stopped to think about how many eyes does a fly have? In this article by PeritoAnimal we give you the answer and explain the fly view and the incredible ability of these insects to quickly dodge objects and capture attempts.
How many eyes does a fly have?
a fly has two compound eyes by thousands of facets. A fly's eyes are compound or faceted. I mean, they are made up of thousands of units of independent facets (omatid) that capture the images. On average, a fly is said to have 4,000 facets in each eye, which allows them a detailed view of any movement, in any direction, in detail and, to top it off, in slow motion. This explains their ease in escaping any capture attempt. It's like a 360 degree view.
fly vision
According to an article published by the University of Cambrige,[1]flies have the fastest visual response in the Animal Kingdom. We can say, from a human point of view, that the sight of flies can be very reminiscent of a kaleidoscope, capturing the same images over and over again. The view of the flies is faceted and the effect is a mosaic image.
It works like this: each facet is aimed at a different angle, one next to the other. Which allows them a much broader view of the situation. Despite being enlarged, this does not mean that the view of the flies is exactly clear, as they don't have retina and that doesn't allow for a great resolution. The consequence of this, therefore, is the size of the eyes, evidently protruding in relation to the rest of the body.
Their agility is, yes, related to the sight of the flies, but that's not all. They also have species of sensors throughout the body that help them to perceive any threat or change in normal conditions.
It is proven that flies and insects, in general, have a slower view of our world. In other words, what seems to us a super quick gesture, in their view is a movement that is more than slow enough to be escaped. they ccan't notice the movements at least 5 times before than human vision thanks to its super light sensitive photoreceptors. 'Diurnal' insects have their photoreceptor cells in a different arrangement from nocturnal insects, which, in general, see more clearly.
Anatomy of a fly
As mentioned, the agility of flies is also a consequence of their body structure and their anatomy in the fly phase, as shown in the image and captions below:
- Prescutum;
- Front Spiral;
- Shield or carapace;
- Basicosta;
- Calypters;
- Scutellum;
- Vein;
- Wing;
- abdominal segment;
- Rockers;
- Back spiracle;
- Femur;
- Tibia;
- Spur;
- Tarsus;
- Propleura;
- Prosternum;
- Mesopleura;
- Mesosternum;
- Metosternal;
- Metasternal;
- Compound eye;
- Arista;
- Antenna;
- Jaws;
- Labium:
- Labellum;
- Pseudotrachea.
The evolution of the view of flies
This was not always the case, a study published in the scientific journal Nature[2]explains that in the past, the vision of flies had a much lower resolution and this developed thanks to an alteration in their photoreceptor cells. Their eyes have evolved and are now known to be more sensitive due to their structures positioned perpendicular to the light path. Thus, they receive light more quickly and send this information to the brain. One of the explanations is the need to quickly dodge objects in the path during the flight of these small animals.
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