31/08/21 Issue #1
Incredible insects
How do flies breathe with no lungs?
Kelsey Wosnitzka 2-min read
We’ve all squashed flies and been left with a red Whereas humans are reliant on muscular
sticky mess on our walls, lights, mirrors, or windows. contractions to pull oxygen into the lungs and force
What if I told you that the red hue was due to it back out again, insects gaseous exchange is an
pigments in the eyes of the fly, and that in fact, flies entirely passive process. Some larger insects use
do not have blood at all? rhythmic bodily contractions to encourage airflow,
but not all.
With no blood and no lungs, the respiratory system of
the class insecta is markedly different to that Although admittedly a strange way to breathe, this
possessed by us mammals. Whereas our blood is system does mean that insects cannot grow bigger
strictly contained within arteries, veins, and than a few centimetres. To do so would require more
capillaries; insects have what is known as an open sophisticated gaseous exchange methods, such as
circulatory system. lungs or gills.
Oxygen is taken up into the body of the insect via
holes in the exoskeleton, called spiracles. The
exoskeleton acts as the external armor of the insect,
providing its body with structure. Following uptake
into the spiracles, oxygen travels through the
abdomen via a network of hollow tubes – meaning
that, insects are full of holes!
At the terminal point, oxygen dissolves into the
hemolymph – the water-based fluid that bathes the
insect cells, providing them with oxygen and nutrients
and carrying waste away. The largest known insect is the Giant
weta – coming in at 4cm long.
The giant weta is native to New Zealand and can
grow to be bigger than mice – with their name
originating from the Maori ‘wetapunga’, translating
to ‘God of ugly things’.
Although their relatives, the tree weta, can still fly;
the Giant weta is too large and is consequently
earthbound.
