Genus Musca

Classification · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Size · Identification · Range · Remarks · Print References · Works Cited

Small, quick flies seek ID - Musca autumnalis - male

Mating Flies - Musca autumnalis - male - female

House flies - Musca domestica - male - female

Fly maybe Muscidae in a lek - Musca autumnalis

Fly 559A 744 & 7453 & 7455 - Musca autumnalis - male

Musca domestica puparium? - Musca domestica

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Diptera (Flies)

No Taxon (Calyptratae)

Superfamily Muscoidea

Family Muscidae (House Flies and kin)

Subfamily Muscinae

Tribe Muscini

Genus Musca

Explanation of Names

Musca Linnaeus 1758

Latin musca 'a fly'(1) (cognate to midge)

Numbers

2 spp. in our area (both adventive), dozens in the Old World(2)

Size

adult 5‒10 mm, larva up to 12 mm

Identification

Adult:

M. autumnalis: female eyes separated by black median stripe with straight sides that occupies ~⅓ of distance between eyes; male eyes nearly touch; female thorax grayish, abdomen gray on top with some yellow on sides; male thorax dark blue-gray, abdomen orange with black dorsal stripe

M. domestica: female eyes separated by ovoid frontal stripe; male eyes close together but separated by narrow frontal stripe

Range

Old World genus (now cosmopolitan), most spp. tropical(2)

Remarks

Due to their habit of feeding on foul substances and human food, several species spread bacterial disease

Print References

Sabrosky C.W. (1959) Recognition of species of Musca. Cooperative Economic Insect Report 9: 988. (Full text)

Works Cited

1.	Dictionary of Word Roots and Combining Forms Donald J. Borror. 1960. Mayfield Publishing Company.

2.	Manual of Central American Diptera Brian V. Brown et al. 2009. NRC Research Press.

Contributed by Robin McLeod on 31 October, 2005 - 9:11pm
Additional contributions by cotinis, Beatriz Moisset, Bbarnd, Vox Sciurorum, v belov
Last updated 26 October, 2023 - 6:09pm

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