Why are maggots and pupae better able to survive the winter than adult flies?
Lanney, Sandia Park, New Mexico Life cycle of house fly [Jim Kalisch, University of Nebraska] A: A fly lives as one with her surroundings no matter what stage of her existence: maggot, pupa, or adult. When its cold, shes cold. When it freezes, she freezes and may die. Things that stick out freeze more quickly. Maggots and pupae have a great advantage nothing sticks out. A maggot is a worm-like tube, creamy white and greasy looking. No legs, no wings, no antennas (not even eyes). Likewise, a pupa has no appendages a simple chestnut-brown oval object quietly transforming into an adult. So, a maggot or a pupa can withstand colder temperatures than an adult fly because of their shape. The maggot has another great advantage: her heated home. A poor adult overwintering outside must seek a kindly crevice that may keep the wind out but does little else. Whereas, a maggot basks in 70 degree F (21 C) warmth at the bottom of a manure heap. She gets her furnace courtesy of aerobic bacteria. These
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