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Fly

A fly is a flying insect. All flies have one pair of wings. They live throughout the world. The common house fly is one of the best-known flies.

Flies are among the fastest of all flying insects. House flies fly about 4 1/2 miles (7.2 kilometers) per hour. The buzzing of a fly is the sound of its wings beating very quickly. A house fly's wings beat about 200 times a second.

There are thousands of kinds of flies. Some of the smallest flies are midges called no-see-ums. They are about 1/20 inch (1.3 millimeters) long. These tiny flies live in forests and wet areas near coasts and have a painful bite. One of the largest flies is the mydas fly. It lives in South America. Its body is 3 inches (7.6 centimeters) long, and its wings are 3 inches across.

Some flies are dangerous pests. They carry germs that cause serious illnesses in people. They can also harm animals and plants.

Other flies are helpful. They carry pollen from one plant to another, like bees. Some eat harmful insects.

Some insects are called flies, but they have four wings, so they are not true flies. They include butterflies, dragonflies, and mayflies.

Adult house flies live about 21 days in summer. Most die when the weather gets cold. Many young flies stay alive during the winter. They develop into adults in spring.

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