Question

Mouth parts of a housefly are of

• A. Sponging type
• B. Sucking type
• C. Siphoning type
• D. Piercing type

Answer 1

Answer: (A), (B)

Sucking type

The correct option is A and B.

Explanation of the correct option:

1. Housefly mouthparts are of the sponging and sucking variety and are employed to suck on liquid food.
2. It also has an organ designed for a liquid diet, the proboscis, which resembles a tube.
3. House flies have mouthparts that can sponge and suck.
4. Before sucking partially digested liquid food from substrates, it first squirts digesting saliva onto the substrate.
5. These are designed for sucking food that is liquid or semiliquid.

Explanation of the incorrect options:

Option C:

1. Insects with siphoning mouthparts suck or siphon the nectar (food) through the siphoning mouthparts rather than chewing it.
2. Designed to siphon nectar from long-throated flowers, moths and butterflies have mouthparts that can do this.

Option D:

1. Orthopteran insects, such as cockroaches, grasshoppers, crickets, etc., have mouth parts of this type.
2. Additionally, they are found in silver fish, termites, earwigs, beetles, some hymenopterans, and Lepidoptera caterpillars.

Final answer: House flies have sponging and sucking mouth parts.