Curiosities

Educational content on curiosities and biological aspects of major urban pests.

Mylva curiosities - EP3
How much can a housefly larva eat?

During its first days of life, and under optimal temperature and humidity conditions, a housefly larva can consume between 2 and 5 times its body weight per day. This great voracity is linked to a high metabolic rate and can cause an increase in the temperature of the larval development area. For example, in an environment where the ambient temperature is 25–30°C, temperatures of up to 35–45°C can be found inside the container where the larvae are kept. Between image 1 and image 4, less than 10 minutes had passed — enough time for the larvae to completely cover the offered food.

Mylva curiosities - EP2
Antimicrobial substances – fly larvae

Did you know that fly larvae release antimicrobial and antifungal substances while feeding?

These substances, together with digestive enzymes that are also released, help in the breakdown of food and inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria and fungi that could be harmful to them. This characteristic makes them suitable for larval therapy, where larvae, mainly of Lucilia sericata, are used to clean wounds, as they remove dead tissue without affecting healthy tissue. In the image we can see a comparison between two containers: one with housefly larvae and no fungal growth, and another without larvae but with fungal growth."

Mylva curiosities - EP1
Who’s Sucking My Blood?

Did you know that bedbugs need to feed on blood to carry out each molting process? They go through 5 nymphal stages before becoming adults. Once they achieve this, they continue sucking blood throughout their lives.

Did you know that bedbugs bite several times before finding the best capillary from which to feed? Once they find it, they keep drawing blood for 5-10 minutes until they are completely full.