The Wing of a Blowfly Flies belong to the order Diptera. These are insects where one of the normally two pairs of wings has shrunk to two haltera, little rods with a knob on the end. These move as counter balances against the motion of the normal wings. This close up of the wings surface shows the dark rods and aerodynamic structures. Hairs of different size and structure guide the air over the surface of the wing. The wings also have a serrated edges that create less turbulence.   First Page

Flies can flap their wings with an incredible speed of about 200 times per second. No muscle can perform so many movements but the fly uses a very clever system where the thorax moves the wings up and down. This is more energy efficient and enables the fly to use not every muscle at the same time. The muscles work in shifts, one after another.

To see the whole wing with serrated edges click on the thumbnail.