Species Hermetia illucens - Black Soldier Fly

BSF

illucens

il is Latin for not, without (1)

luci is Latin for light

A dozen spp in Nearctica

15-20 mm length

Large soldier fly, all black with bright white tarsi. Underneath, first abdominal segment has clear areas. Wings have purplish sheen. Likely a wasp mimic, it buzzes loudly. In particular, it appears to mimic the Pipe-organ mud dauber, Trypoxylon politum, compare the fly on the left and the wasp on the right:

Includes most (or all) of North America--wide ranging in Western Hemisphere, also in Australia, Samoa, Hawaii (where introduced?)

April-November (North Carolina)

Larvae live in compost, dung, rotting vegetation.

Very rarely, accidentally ingested larvae cause intestinal myiasis (presence of living fly larvae in the intestinal tract) in humans and domestic animals. However, larvae compete with house flies in manure, compost piles, etc., and may thus be beneficial. Adults are harmless and not known to carry any human disease.

Tomberlin, J., C. Sheppard, and J. A. Joyce. 2005. Black Soldier fly (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) colonization of pig carrion in South Georgia. Journal of Forensic Sciences. 50(1):152-153