I've Seen An Elephant Fly Quiz | Invertebrates

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. In the state of Florida, there are 3 species of large predatory fly. They belong to the genus "Mallophora", and are known as "bee killers". The Florida bee killer, black bee killer and Southern bee killer are some of the more well known flies. By what other name are these flies more commonly known?

Answer: robber flies

The robber flies are big and robust, and look like carpenter bees or bumble bees They can even drone like bees in flight. They pounce on their prey and inject them with a neurotoxin. Enzymes are also injected that basically turns the insides of the bee into a liquid meal which the fly proceeds to suck up like a thick milkshake.

2. This 'fly' is from the sub-order Anisoptera (uneven wings) and is not really a true fly. In Great Britain there are about 30 different species that still exist and one that, unfortunately, is extinct. These 'flies' are considered valuable insects by the agricultural community for their depredation of mosquitoes and other small insects. So, which 'fly' is the one I have just described?

Answer: dragonfly

The dragonfly typically lives near water, wetlands and bogs due to their larvae being aquatic. The "nymphs", unlike the adults, can give a nasty bite. The dragonfly is very similar to the damselfly except that they hold their wings more perpendicular to the body when at rest.

They are highly valued for their role in insect control. Ecologists consider them to be very important to the environment.

3. There is a fly that is believed to carry over 100 pathogens that are harmful to humans. The adult can be identified easily from the four black narrow stripes along the side of the thorax, and the flaming red coloured eyes. You can tell which is male and which is female as the female has a bigger space between her eyes. So, name the fly I have just described?

Answer: house fly

The house fly loves nothing better than some decomposing organic matter. Offal, dung and carrion attract the house fly immediately and with bacteria present the chances of the flies transmitting diseases are considerable. Transmittable diseases can include cholera, typhoid and dysentery. The best way to beat the house fly is to improve sanitation and waste disposal.

4. These flies are generally bigger than deer flies. They live on the blood of their host, the horse, though they have been known to bite humans. Which fly could be described as a hippophage?

Answer: horse fly

A hippophage is an eater of horses. In this case, the horse fly likes to suck the blood of its host, whether domesticated or in the wild. It is the female horse fly who sucks blood while the male feeds on nectar and collects pollen. Anybody who has been bitten by one of these flies knows how painful it can be. The fly belongs to the family Tabanidae.

5. Known as a hover fly in England, these insects have a different name in the New World. They are considered to be of economic importance to agriculture for their feasting on aphids and for pollination. So, which fly would you want in your garden?

Answer: flower fly

The flower fly is essential in agroecosystems, such as orchards, where they can out-perform the native bees when it comes to pollination. Their maggots eat aphids, thrips and caterpillars, and are as welcome on the farm as ladybugs and lacewings for pest control.

6. From the family Sarcophagidae comes this charming fellow. They got their name from laying their eggs within the open wounds of mammals. Normally when you see scenes on film of a writhing mass of maggots they are the young of this fly. Which fly is it?

Answer: flesh fly

They have red eyes and a prominent row of bristles on each side of their thoraxes. They inhabit any carcass or dung that is exposed to daylight. Their larvae feed on decaying flesh, dead insects and excrement. A few of the larger flies can deposit so many eggs that when they hatch, the maggots become a heaving mass wriggling and devouring their food.

7. From the family Simulidae comes the fly otherwise known as buffalo gnat, turkey gnat and white socks. They are known to spread river blindness in Africa by transmitting a nematode which causes the disease. What is the name of this insect which has state and federal governments, out to control it?

Answer: black fly

The black fly has about 1,800 different species within its family. They are considered a pest in the USA and many states in the US have instituted programs for the control of this insect. The female black fly uses blood for egg development, but gets its energy from plant nectar.

They are also known to be a scourge to ranchers who can verify weight loss in their cows. The fly is such a pest that the forest workers in Canada will not work unless there is black fly control written into their work contracts.

8. This particular insect has me running for the nearest book to swat it. These metallic blue, green or black in colour insects are heard before they are seen. Commonly called a "bluebottle," what is its real name?

Answer: blow fly

Calliphora vomitoria is the blow fly's Latin name. The female lays its eggs on decaying food and matter. The larvae, commonly known as maggots, will hatch. Using small black hooks to tear the flesh, they vomit saliva onto the food to dissolve it, and then they suck the mixture up.

Then, after a week of feeding, they will burrow into the soil to pupate. They prefer foul smells and are useful in the pollination of the more putrid smelling plants such as greenbriar and the fungi elegant stinkhorn. Lovely! By the way the broad-headed fly is the rarest fly in the world and has not been seen since 1903.

9. From the family Therevidae comes a rarely collected and secretive insect. If the film industry ever wished to make a film about a deadly natural predator they should look no further than this well named fellow. So, which fly is the subject of this question?

Answer: stiletto fly

The white larva of the stiletto fly lives just below the soil surface near a river bank. It can feel the vibrations of passing insects as it wriggles through the soil until it is underneath its prey. It then pierces its prey from below and injects a paralysing toxin into the unfortunate creature. Then it drags its victim below ground to be ingested.

10. This fly resembles a wasp in appearance. From the family Stratiomyidae, these insects make life difficult for the common house fly. Which fly sounds like it would be welcome within an army base?

Answer: soldier fly

The larvae of the soldier fly have the ability to churn cow manure into a liquid state and this is not to the liking of the house fly larvae. Also, the presence of these soldier larvae seems to inhibit the egg laying ability of the house fly.

Source: Author martinjudo

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor crisw before going online.
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I've Seen An Elephant Fly Trivia Quiz

The obvious quiz with a title like this one would be about a young big eared pachyderm. However, here instead, is a quiz on flies. Thank you to Mink for the title challenge.

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