MadSci Network: Zoology
Query:

Re: how fast can a house fly, fly?

Date: Mon Nov 27 17:24:52 2000
Posted By: David Richman, Staff, Entomology
Area of science: Zoology
ID: 974767673.Zo
Message:

In general insects cannot fly as fast as most people think.  This illusion 
is a result of their small size.   The fastest insect clocked accurately 
was an Australian dragonfly at 57.6 km/hr (36 mph).  Horse flies can 
travel at 24-40 km/hr.   House flies are much slower, about 8 km/hr. 
Oddly, C. H. T. Townsend calculated the speed of deer bot flies on a 
Mexican mountain slope at over 960 km/hr! He was impressed by the blur 
they made as they passed by. However, in reality these insects travel at 
about 19 km/hr.  If they traveled at the speed Townsend calculated they 
would loose their wings due to shear and splatter themselveds on trees, 
rocks, or even their host!

Reference: 

Berenbaum, M. R. 1995. Bugs in the System.  Addison-Wesley Pub., Reading, 
Massachusetts.

Farb, P. 1962. The Insects. Time-Life Books, New York.




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