RECOMMEND
 ADD COMMENT  READ COMMENTS (0)  PRINT  EMAIL  SHARE  THE CANADIAN ENCYCLOPEDIA
0 people recommend this

Keywords
Insects

Black Fly, insect belonging to order Diptera, family Simuliidae. Black flies are small, 1-5 mm long. Not all species are black; some are yellowish orange or brownish grey. More than 1250 species are known worldwide; at least 110 in Canada.

Range
Black flies occur nearly anywhere that rivers and streams are present for immature stages, including arctic regions, and are especially abundant in northern wooded regions. Larvae live in flowing water, gathering fine particulate food by straining the water with their head fans.

Structure
Females have biting mouth parts with toothed stylets for cutting skin. Males do not bite and are rarely observed. Both sexes require nectar for flight energy; females use blood for egg development.

Reproduction and Development
Eggs (150-600 per female) may be laid on substrates in water or dropped as females fly over water. Larvae attach to rocks or vegetation and complete development in 3-14 days, depending on water temperatures and availability of food. Pupae are inactive and do not feed. Adults may emerge from any water depth, floating upward in a bubble of air generated during emergence. They are ready to fly when they break the surface. Average life span is about 3 weeks.

Interaction with Humans
In Central America, tropical S America and Africa, black flies frequently transmit nematodes causing river blindness (onchocerciasis) in humans. In Canada, black flies cause human suffering and are a scourge to livestock. In the ATHABASCA R region of northern Alberta, weight loss in cattle caused by the black fly attacks in one outbreak (1971) amounted to 45 kg per animal; 973 animals were killed in one area alone by Simulium arcticum, a species whose saliva contains a toxin which in large quantities causes anaphylactic shock and sometimes death in cattle. In Saskatchewan, 1100 cattle were killed by this black fly species during the outbreak years of 1944-47. Black flies are a nuisance to humans. For example, forest workers in northern BC and Québec demand black fly control as part of their work contract.

See also FLY.


Black Fly
In Canada, black flies cause human suffering and are a scourge to livestock (artwork by Jan Sovak, 1989).

Author R.A. BRUST


Suggested Reading
M. Laird, Black Flies (1981).


Links to Other Sites
Québec Biodiversity Website
A great information source for all budding biologists. Learn about biodiversity theory, Québec natural history, and conservation issues. From McGill’s Redpath Museum.

The Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes
This website provides information about the scope and contents of the Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes. Check the “Index” link for illustrated descriptions of various taxonomic groups.

Feature Articles
Invention of Standard Time
Time waits for no man… and neither do trains...
MOST READ ARTICLES
Trudeau, Pierre Elliott
Pierre Elliott Trudeau, politician, writer, constitutional lawyer, prime minister of Canada 1968-79 and 1980-84 (b at ...
Great Depression
Few countries were affected as severely as Canada by the worldwide Depression of the 1930s. It is estimated that ...
Riel, Louis
Louis Riel, Métis leader, founder of Manitoba, central figure in the NORTH-WEST REBELLION (b at Red River ...
MOST RECOMMENDED ARTICLES
Group of Seven
The Group of Seven was founded in 1920 as an organization of self-proclaimed modern artists. The original members - ...
Macdonald, Sir John Alexander
Sir John Alexander Macdonald, lawyer, businessman, politician, first prime minister of Canada (b at Brunswick Place, ...
Great Depression
Few countries were affected as severely as Canada by the worldwide Depression of the 1930s. It is estimated that ...
MOST COMMENTED ON ARTICLES
Ware, John
John Ware, "Nigger John," horseman, rancher (b near Georgetown, SC 1845; d near Brooks, Alta 11 Sept 1905). ...
Créditistes
Créditistes, Québec party involved in federal politics. For nearly 2 decades before its 1958 formation ...
LaMarsh, Julia Verlyn
Julia Verlyn LaMarsh, "Judy," lawyer, politician, broadcaster, novelist (b at Chatham, Ont 20 Dec 1924; d at ...
newsletter subscription
* E-mail:
join us on facebook twitter
WIRE BLOG
Canada's Many Heroes and Heroines
by FRANCES CATION
WIRE BLOG
Welcome to the Memory Project: Stories of the Second World War Project blog!
by JENNA ZUSCHLAG MISENER
WIRE BLOG
Silence and Remembering
by JAMES MARSH
WIRE BLOG
A Message From George Brady
by CHRISTINA L
WIRE BLOG
The making of Hana's Suitcase by Director Larry Weinstein
by LARRY WEINSTEIN
INSIDE TCE
Gallery
Browse the rich visual resources of The Canadian Encyclopedia through thematic galleries of Canadian Art, History, Nature, People, and Science and Technology.
Interactive Resources
Illustrations, lively text, animations, sounds and games help make learning about Canadian history, art, geography, architecture and other topics entertaining as well as informative.
Canucklehead
The ultimate test of your knowledge of Canada, trivial and otherwise. You can choose from more than 60 dynamic quizzes with visual or text clues. Your scores depend on the speed with which you answer and the number of clues you need. Results are sent to you by email and high scores are posted on the site.
Timeline
This unique resource includes more than 6000 events from Canadian and world history. It can be searched by era, subject, keyword or date. To find out what happened on your birthday, select the month and day of your birth.
100 Greatest Events
This selection of the 100 "greatest" events in Canadian history was made by editor in chief James H. Marsh to draw attention to events that have left an indelible memory in the minds of later generations.
THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MUSIC IN CANADA
Wilson, Eric
Eric (James) Wilson. Cellist, teacher, adjudicator, b Winnipeg 23 Sep 1949; B MUS (Juilliard) 1972, M MUS (Juilliard) 1973, D MUS (Juilliard) 1979. He studied in Winnipeg 1955-9 with Kenneth Murphy, 1959-60 with Peggie Sampson, ...


Who's Who at TCE    |    Our Partners The Canadian Encyclopedia © 2009 Historica-Dominion Copyright Information