The Life Cycle After Feeding
Maggots are the larvae of flies. Once they have eaten every bit of a dead animal, they pupate. They form a hard outer shell around themselves and undergo metamorphosis, changing into adult flies. When mature, they emerge from the pupal case and fly away.
This process is called complete metamorphosis because the maggots change completely from one form to another. Other insects that undergo complete metamorphosis include butterflies, moths, and beetles.
The fly life cycle is important to the ecosystem because maggots help decompose dead animals, recycling nutrients back into the environment.