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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » Calyptratae » Oestroidea » Blow Flies (Calliphoridae)

Family Calliphoridae - Blow Flies

Classification · Other Common Names · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Identification · Habitat · Food · Remarks · See Also · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited
Cluster Fly - Pollenia - male Calliphoridae Blow Fly - Cynomya cadaverina Fly with metallic green and yellow Secondary Screwworm, perhaps? - Cochliomyia macellaria Green Bottle Fly - Lucilia Hairy Maggot Blow Fly - Chrysomya megacephala - male Blow Fly Fly - Pollenia
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."
Explanation of Names
From Greek calli- beautiful, plus phor bearing.
Numbers
Nearctica.com lists 90 spp. in 17 genera
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).
See Also
Sarcophagidae
Print References
Borror and Delong (1)
Internet References
Key to Kentucky Calliphoridae.
Wikipedia--Calliphoridae
Works Cited
1.Borror and DeLong's Introduction to the Study of Insects
By Norman F. Johnson, Charles A. Triplehorn
Contributed by john and jane balaban on 19 September, 2004 - 2:03pm
Additional contributions by cotinis, Bug Eric, Beatriz Moisset, v belov
Last updated 15 May, 2009 - 11:55am

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