Remembering the most neat creatures in the world, people call, for example, cats that constantly lick their hair, removing dirt, any odors. And for some reason, everyone unjustly forgets about flies, considering them to be creatures by no means pure, not worthy of mention in the ranks of those who watch themselves intensely. However, flies do have tremendous skills to keep their bodies clean. If you observe them, it can be noted that they constantly clean their wings, head, body. More often, these insects tidy their paws.
Why do they do this, why is claw claws so important for flies? By studying habits, vital functions, and the anatomy of these insects, you can find answers to similar questions.
Insect foot cleaning
Watching living creatures around carefully, it can be noted that not only flies are engaged in rubbing their paws. The gesture is relevant for all insects, from time to time any beetle tidies itself up in a similar way - it rubs its legs, then cleans their mustache - antennae. Ants, bees, butterflies - they all monitor personal hygiene. However, flies are forced to do this very carefully, their existence without perfectly clean paws is impossible.
Features of the anatomy of flies
Everyone knows perfectly well how skillfully flies can run on ceilings, walls, and any other surfaces. They do not have to keep their balance or make an effort to move “upside down” - the paws hold the insect in any position. After all, they end with special pads, on which an adhesive substance is released through hollow hairs.It keeps the fly on the objects it needs without difficulty, but if necessary does not interfere with walking - the anatomy of the extremities of the flies is unique in this regard.
Constant walking leads to high costs sticky substance. In addition, dust particles, pollutants, which do not contribute to its normal functioning, adhere to the adhesive surface. In order to continue to crawl freely even through the window pane, the fly should regularly clean itself up, removing dirt, stimulating the release of adhesive substance. Only then will she continue to move efficiently and engage in familiar activities.
Why fly paws?
In addition, it is worth noting that the legs are necessary for the fly not only to move. They do not have a tongue, a nose, like a person. It would seem that insects are not able to determine the taste or smell. However, this is not true. Flies are perfectly oriented in tastes, because they have smelling organs, they are located, in a human sight, unusual - on the paws. But the fly is comfortable - barely sitting on the surface, it receives information about its edibility, other relevant information.
The uniqueness of the legs of flies
Paws of flies are so unique that they successfully play another role - they are the organs of touch. The limbs are covered with hairs, which play a tactile function, provide the insect with information about what is around at the closest distance. Given these facts, we can understand why the winged insect treats its limbs with such care and constantly cleans them.After all, if you do not monitor the purity of such organs, they will quickly cease to give accurate information, the insect will be completely disoriented.
Flies experiments
To understand how reverent flies relate to their limbs, several experiments can be done. If you catch a fly, stain it with some kind of pollutant and let it go, first of all it will take care of its wings, if they are also injured, and then about their legs. And if the legs of the fly are lowered into hexane, then the sticky substance will be washed off, it will not be able to walk on the glass for some time. Letting go of the fly after such a “procedure”, you will notice that it will immediately find a quiet place where it will begin to intensively clean its paws, stimulating the production of a new portion of the sticky substance. After a few minutes, the ability to sit on the glass will return to her.
Thus, the flies rub their paws in order to maintain their working condition and protect from dirt the entire set of organs that are there. This is not only “Velcro” for walking on the glass or ceiling, but also the organs of touch, smell. The insect cannot tolerate their pollution, since it will remain disoriented, defenseless.
