Re: Where are the 'eyes' on the body of a maggot (Fly larvae)

Hi,

Thanks for asking such an interesting question. In fact little is known about the light-sensitive organs (photoreceptors) of maggots. This is in stark contrast to the photoreceptors in the compound eyes of adult flies, which are one of the most thoroughly studied systems in insect physiology. It has been known for some time from that the photoreceptors are to be found at the front (head) end of the maggot, however, the precise location has proved very difficult to pin down since the only sensory organs in this region lack the characteristic features of photoreceptors.

Most insect larvae have organs called stemmata which contain the photoreceptors, however, these appear to be absent in maggots. There are a number of structures at the front end of a maggot that have at one time or another been suggested to be the site of photoreception. These include chemoreceptors and even the imaginal discs that are destined to become the compound eyes of the adult fly. It seems, however, that the site of photoreception is in fact a small group of nondescript cells that may represent the vestigial remains of the stemmata, but which are otherwise unremarkable and resemble the non-sensory cells that surround them.

For more information check out any good textbook of insect physiology. For a list of textbooks and a great deal more take a look at the insect physiology website.

Regards,

Rob Cruickshank