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BugGuide Gathering
Smoky Mountains
University of Tennessee Biological Field Station
August 8-10, 2008
 
Photos from the gathering
 
Photos from the 2007 gathering in Minnesota

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Family Calliphoridae - Blow Flies

Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Diptera (Flies)
No Taxon (Calyptratae)
Superfamily Oestroidea
Family Calliphoridae (Blow Flies)
Other Common Names
"Blue bottle" and "green bottle," or, "bluebottle" and "greenbottle."
Identification
Very similar to flesh flies (Sarcophagidae), some authorities place both in one family. About the size of a house fly or a little larger; some have metallic color.
Habitat
These are very common flies in a wide variety of habitats, including heavily urbanized areas.
Food
Most are scavengers. The larvae live in carrion, excrement and similar materials.
Remarks
These are the flies you commonly see "basking" on the exterior walls of buildings (though flesh flies also have this habit).
Works Cited
1.Borror and DeLong's Introduction to the Study of Insects
By Norman F. Johnson, Charles A. Triplehorn