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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » Aschiza » Scuttle Flies (Phoridae) » Megaselia » Megaselia scalaris
Photo#40708
Those flies onemore time - Megaselia scalaris - female
Copyright © 2006 Jo Ann Poe-McGavin

Those flies onemore time - Megaselia scalaris - Female
Jim Thorpe, PA 18229, Carbon County, Pennsylvania, USA
January 9, 2006
I found this really big one-but it's still small.

Habits: they walk/run mostly-in little sprints-and only fly when they have to. Even if you're trying to grab them!! That sounds like what you described!

and you're sure they don't bite? and they like coffee-especially!! Great that makes them more annoying and active I'll bet! will they eat decaying leaves-I brought in 2 house plants and they have dead leaves in the pots? I'm trying to illiminate their food sources!! If possible!!
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Contributed by Jo Ann Poe-McGavin on 10 January, 2006 - 4:57pm
Last updated 13 January, 2006 - 5:10pm

Phorids.
Perfect description of Megaselia scalaris. My bet is they are breedin in the trashed coffee grounds. That might even explain their frenetic gait:-) You might try throwing some orange rinds down the in-sink-erator, or in the garbage under the sink (if that is where it is). Citrus oils seem to repel a great number of pesky insects. Meanwhile, thanks for the images:-)
… Eric R. Eaton, 10 January, 2006 - 5:10pm login or register to post comments

 
Hmmmmmmmmm. ?
Coffee grounds-that's something we toss right outside-and we don't have a sink disposal..but I sure have lemon juice!! but they do love to get into food and coffee-liquid coffee. I set up a little test in the room they seem to breeding in-by taking some nasty stuff and putting in a container-coffee, milk and misc yukkies-they seem to be going for it-but tomorrow-we're going to remove all the organic substrate and replace it with newspaper-do you think a spritz of lemon juice in each cage will help?

thanks

Jo

PS-they also seem attracted to the PC screen!! Grrrrrrrrrrrr!
… Jo Ann Poe-McGavin, 10 January, 2006 - 10:58pm login or register to post comments

 
Citrus oils vs lemon juice
The idea with citrus oils is that many insects don't like the strong aromatic quality. I don't think lemon juice will help much. You'd be better off with something like cloves, cinnamon, or peppermint if you don't have citrus oils. As for what they're breeding in: look for something moist and composty. Even after you eliminate their breeding medium, you'll still have the adults for a while, unless you can trap them or vacuum them up somehow.
… Chuck Entz, 11 January, 2006 - 7:31am login or register to post comments

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