Watch the beauty and horror of a fly going through metamorphosis. The process of going from a wee little maggot to a plump fly is quite complex, and this video will take you through it from start to finish, up close and personal.
"Like the beloved butterfly, a house fly goes through an incredible metamorphosis. To make its grand entry into the world, it deploys a specialized, fluid-filled balloon on its head called the ptilinum (till-EYE-num) to break open its pupal casing, freeing itself to buzz around your kitchen.
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House flies start out their lives as eggs. Maggots hatch from those eggs and eat (and eat and eat) until they're ready to pupate and turn into flies. Emerging from their pupal home takes a lot of effort. In fact, they evolved a whole organ just to break free from that hard case. They use that organ, called a ptilinum, a pulsing sac filled with hemolymph – or bug blood – just once in their lives, to get out of their pupae."
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See also: Spectacular slow motion video of moths in flight
